Sesbania sericea

Sesbania sericea (Willd.) Link

Common Names: Silky Sesban, Dangle Pod

Family: Fabaceae

Habit: Sesbania sericea grows as a silky pubescent annual/perennial to 3 m in height (sometimes to 6 m). The evenly pinnately compound, leaves are arranged alternately, to 30 cm in length with lanceolate stipules. The leaflets are in 10-20 pairs, each 10-15 cm in length, oblong to elliptic, with a mucronate leaf apex, an entire margin, and a rounded base.  The vegetation is covered in silky pubescent with small prickles.

The complete, perfect, zygomorphic flowers are arranged in 2-8 flowered axillary racemes.  With each flower subtended by a bract. The calyx has 5 green, unfused, oblong sepals. The corolla has 5 off-yellow unfused petals, the upper banner often with black/purple dots and the lower two petals forming a small keel.  There are 10 (9+1) stamens. The ovary is superior and forms an elongate, linear, brown, legume at maturity.

Habitat: Sesbania sericea grows in wet low-lying areas and edges of salt/brackish ponds as well as in Human Altered environments.

Distribution: Sesbania sericea is NOT native to the Lucayan Archipelago. It is native to Asia and Africa but widespread now in Central and South America and the general Caribbean region.

Medicinal/Cultural/Economic usage: Sesbania sericea s is not known to be used medicinally in the Lucayan Archipelago. 

Sesbania sericea has been used elsewhere in agriculture for feedstock, soil improvement, and organic composting.

Sesbania sericea produces large numbers of seeds and can be considered INVASIVE in some systems.