Sesbania sesban (L.) Merr., Fabaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 11 (Go to the risk assessment)

Other Latin names:  Aeschynomene sesban L.; Sesban aegyptiacus Poir.; Sesbania aegyptiaca (Poir.) Pers.

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: yin du tian jing

English: Egyptian rattlepod, Egyptian riverhemp, Egyptian sesban, common sesban, sesban, sesbania

Habit:  shrub

Description:  "Erect shrubs usually 2-3 (-6) m tall; older stems glabrate.  Leaflets 20-40, 15-20 (-30) mm long, 5-10 (-15) mm wide, sparsely pubescent, glabrate with age, apex obtuse to truncate, apiculate or slightly emarginate-mucronate, base obtuse, oblique.  Flowers 4-13 in racemes 5-12 cm long, rachis and pedicels pubescent when young, glabrate with age; calyx green or mottled purple, 5-6 mm long, villous within, sometimes sparely so; corolla yellow, standard often purple-spotted, 15-20 mm long, wings 12-17 mm long, keel slightly shorter.  Pods 10-23 cm long, 0.3-0.4 cm wide, twisted when young, tardily dehiscent.  Seeds 20-30, ca. 4 mm long, 2-3 mm wide"  (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 704).

Habitat/ecology:  In Hawai‘i, "naturalized in pastures and other disturbed areas, 10-60 m" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 704).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Africa, Asia and Australia; widely cultivated and naturalized in the tropics (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 704)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 704) Voucher cited: Ewart III s.n. (BISH)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	introduced	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2013)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	introduced invasive	Merrill, Elmer D. (1923) (p. 282) Occasional; a recent introduction.

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	Northern Territory	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Cambodia Cambodia	Cambodia (Kingdom of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	possibly native invasive cultivated	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) "Cultivated and sometimes naturalized in wastelands, roadsides, riversides, mountain slopes, streamsides; below 300-1300 m. Guangdong, Hainan, Yunnan".
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Malaysia Malaysia	Malaysia (country of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Taiwan Taiwan Island	Taiwan Island	possibly native invasive cultivated	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) "Cultivated and sometimes naturalized in wastelands, roadsides, riversides, mountain slopes, streamsides; below 300-1300 m".
Thailand Thailand	Thailand (Kingdom of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
La Réunion (France) La Réunion Island	La Réunion Island	introduced	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2013)
India (Indian Ocean offshore islands) Nicobar Islands	Nicobar Islands	introduced	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2013)
Mauritius Mautitius Islands (Mauritius and Rodrigues)	Mauritius Island	introduced	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2013)
Mauritius Mautitius Islands (Mauritius and Rodrigues)	Rodrigues Island	introduced	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2013)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Sesbania sesban, please let us know.