Senna obtusifolia (L.) H.S.Irwin & Barneby, Fabaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Threat only at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  Reject, score: 14 (Go to the risk assessment)

Other Latin names:  Cassia obtusifolia L.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: coffee weed, habucha, java bean, sicklepod

Maori (Cook Islands): pī ‘aungakino

Spanish: dormidera

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Annual or perennial herbs (1-)3-12(-20) dm tall, sometimes somewhat woody toward base, foliage malodorous, roots black with yellow tips.  Leaflets 3 pairs, the distal ones larger, broadly obovate to cuneate-obovate, 1.7-6.5 cm long, 1-4 cm wide, glabrous or pubescent, margins ciliate, apex subtruncate to broadly rounded, apiculate, base with 1 side rounded to cordate, the other cuneate, petiolar nectaries between the lower and occasionally the second pair of leaflets, 1-3 mm long, stipules linear, 3.5-17 mm long, caducous.  Flowers 1-2 in the leaf axils, pedicels filiform at anthesis, greatly thickened in fruit, 7-28 mm long, bracts ovate or lanceolate, 2-5 mm long, deciduous; calyx lobes pale green, inner ones obovate or oblong-obovate, 5.5-9.5 mm long; petals pale yellow, the standard obcordate or cuneate-obcordate, the others oblong-obovate, the longest one 9-15 mm long; filaments of 4 median stamens 1-3 mm long, those of 3 abaxial stamens 1.5-4.5 mm long.  Pods ascending, chartaceous, linear, compressed, 4-angled, usually outwardly curved or sometimes almost straight, attenuate at both ends, 6-18 cm long, 0.2-0.6 cm wide, tardily dehiscent by both sutures, the cavity with well-developed interseminal septa. Seeds brown and glossy, obliquely descending, compressed-rhomboid or irregular, sometimes subcylindrical in narrow fruit, 3.2-6 mm long, crackled with age, the areole 2.5-4.2 mm long"  (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 700).

Habitat/ecology:  Common as a weed of open disturbed areas, sea level to 1200 feet. In Hawai‘i, "cultivated and naturalized on the Greenwell Ranch, Hawai‘i"  (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 700). Arid lowlands in the Galápagos Islands (McMullen, 1999; p. 198).  In Australia, "disturbed areas such as drainage channels, overgrazed pastures; often in dense swards along rivers and flood plains" (Smith, 2002; pp. 38-39).

Propagation:  "Seed is dispersed in mud adhering to vehicles, machinery, animal hooves and fur or as a contaminant of hay, fodder and pasture seed.  Seeds may be eaten by stock with mature seed germinating in the dung." (Smith, 2002; pp. 38-39).

Native range:  Probably neotropics. Widely cultivated for medicinal uses and naturalized. Used by the Japanese for tea. (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 700).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Floreana Group	Floreana Island	introduced invasive	Charles Darwin Research Station (2005)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Isabela Group	Volcan Sierra Negra	introduced invasive	Charles Darwin Research Station (2005)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) San Cristóbal Group	San Cristóbal Island	introduced invasive	Charles Darwin Research Station (2005)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Santa Cruz Group	Santa Cruz Island	introduced invasive	Charles Darwin Research Station (2005)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Santiago Group	Santiago Island	introduced invasive	Charles Darwin Research Station (2005)
Federated States of Micronesia Chuuk Islands	Chuuk Islands	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 98)
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 98)
Federated States of Micronesia Yap Islands	Yap (Waqab) Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 98)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 98)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 700) Voucher cited: Akira s.n. (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive	Staples, George W./Imada, Clyde T./Herbst, Derral R. (2003) (p. 12) Voucher cited: M.C. Neal & C. Hartt s.n. (BISH 614694)
Palau Palau (main island group)	Babeldaob Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 98)
Palau Palau (main island group)	Babeldaob Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar (2003) (p. 86)
Palau Palau (main island group)	Koror Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 98)
Palau Palau (main island group)	Peleliu Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar (2003) (p. 91)
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	introduced	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2005)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	introduced invasive	Waterhouse, D. F. (1993) (pp. 68, 78)

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	introduced invasive	Smith, Nicholas M. (2002) (pp. 38-39)
Australia Australia (continental)	Northern Territory	introduced invasive	Australian Biological Resources Study (2007)
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	introduced invasive	Smith, Nicholas M. (2002) (pp. 38-39)
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	introduced invasive	Australian Biological Resources Study (2007)
Colombia Colombia	Colombia (Republic of)	uncertain if native	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2005)
Ecuador (Mainland) Ecuador	Ecuador (Republic of) (continental)	uncertain if native	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2005)
El Salvador El Salvador	El Salvador (Republic of)	introduced	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2005)
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)	introduced invasive	Waterhouse, D. F. (1993) (pp. 68, 78)
Malaysia Malaysia	Malaysia (country of)	introduced invasive	Waterhouse, D. F. (1993) (pp. 68, 78)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	uncertain if native	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2005)
Panama Panama	Panama (Republic of)	uncertain if native	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2005)
Perú Perú	Perú (Republic of)	uncertain if native	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2005)
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)	introduced invasive	Waterhouse, D. F. (1993) (pp. 68, 78)

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 (2005)
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Seychelles Islands	introduced	Weber, Ewald (2003) (p. 400)

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	United States (other states)	uncertain if native	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2005)

Comments:  Invasive in woodlands in Australia.

A declared noxious weed in Western Australia and the Northern Territory (Smith, 2002; pp. 38-39).

Control: 

Physical:  "Single plants can be grubbed before flowering commences.  Larger colonies are slashed to reduce the plant's vigor"  (Weber, 2003; p. 400).

Chemical:  "Effective herbicides include 2,4-D plus picloram, glyphosate, or dichlorprop.  Seedlings are best sprayed before they set flowers"  (Weber, 2003; p. 400).  "Sensitive to dicamba and triclopyr but not to MCPA"  (Motooka et al., 2003).

Additional information:  Fact sheet from the Department of Natural Resources, Queensland, Australia. (PDF format)

Additional online information about Senna obtusifolia is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Taxonomic information about Senna obtusifolia may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Australian Biological Resources Study. 2007. Flora of Australia Online. Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra.

Charles Darwin Research Station. 2005. CDRS Herbarium records.

Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce. 1979. A geographical checklist of the Micronesian dicotyledonae. Micronesica 15:1-295.

ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre. 2005. International Legume Database & Information Service. Online searchable database.

McCormack, Gerald. 2007. Cook Islands biodiversity and natural heritage. On-line database.

McMullen, C. K. 1999. Flowering plants of the Galápagos. Comstock Pub. Assoc., Ithaca, N.Y. 370 p.

Motooka, Philip/Castro, Luisa/Nelson, Duane/ Nagai, Guy/Ching, Lincoln. 2003. Weeds of Hawaii‘s Pastures and Natural Areas; An Identification and Management Guide. College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii at Manoa. 184 pp.

Smith, Nicholas M. 2002. Weeds of the wet/dry tropics of Australia - a field guide. Environment Centre NT, Inc. 112 pp.

Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar. 2003. Report to the Republic of Palau on invasive plant species of environmental concern. USDA Forest Service, Honolulu. 174 pp.

Staples, George W./Imada, Clyde T./Herbst, Derral R. 2003. New Hawaiian plant records for 2001. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Eldredge, Lucius G., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 2001-2002. Part 2: Notes. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers. 74:7-21.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2007. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. 1999. Manual of the flowering plants of Hawaii. Revised edition. Bernice P. Bishop Museum special publication. University of Hawai‘i Press/Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 1919 pp. (two volumes).

Waterhouse, D. F. 1993. The major invertebrate pests and weeds of agriculture in Southeast Asia. The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, Canberra. 141 pp.

Weber, Ewald. 2003. Invasive plants of the World. CABI Publishing, CAB International, Wallingford, UK. 548 pp.

Wiggins, I. L./Porter, D. M. 1971. Flora of the Galapágos Islands. Stanford University Press. 998 pp.