Senna septemtrionalis (Viv.) H.S.Irwin & Barneby, Fabaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Cassia laevigata Willd.; Cassia septemtrionalis Viv.

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: guang ye jue ming

English: arsenic bush, buttercup bush, Dooleyweed, laburnum, smooth senna, yellow shower

Fijian: mosimosi, naseni karakarawa, winivinikau

Hawaiian: kalamona, kolomona

Habit:  shrub/tree

Description:  "Leafy shrubs or small trees 1-5 (-6.5) m tall.  Leaflets 3-4 (5) pairs, the distal ones larger, broadly ovate to lanceolate, (3.5-) 4.5-10.5 cm long, (1.1-) 1.4-3.5 cm wide, glabrous, lower surface pale, apex acuminate or caudate, base obliquely rounded or cuneate, petiolar nectaries between all pairs or all but the distal pair of leaflets, none contiguous to pulvinus, the lowest one 1-2 mm long, stipules submembranous, narrowly lanceolate, 3-7 mm long, caducous.  Flowers in racemes (1.5-) 2.5-8 cm long, pedicels (12-) 15-25 mm long, bracts sub-membranous, linear, lanceolate, or subulate, (1.5-) 2-4.5 mm long, caducous as pedicels begin to elongate; calyx lobes yellowish green, yellowish brown, or completely yellow, the outer ones relatively firm, ovate-elliptic, 4-6.5 mm long, the inner ones submembranous, oblong-obovate or suborbicular, 6.5-10 mm long; petals bright yellow, the standard obovate to obovate-flabellate, deeply emarginate, the others obovate, the longest petal 12-16 mm long; staminodes 3, obovate or suborbicular, (1.7-) 2-2.6 mm long; filaments of 4 median stamens 1.3-2.2 mm long, those of 2 abaxial stamens dilated, ribbon-like, 7-10.5 mm long, that of abaxial central stamen 2-4 mm long.  Pods ascending on a stiff pedicel, chartaceous, cylindrical or obtusely quadrangular, 6-10.5 cm long, 0.8-1.1 cm wide, cavity moderately pulpy, divided into 2 parallel rows of of cells.  Seeds oriented with broad face to the septum, olive or brown, compressed-obovoid, 3.6-4.9 mm long, constricted at the hilum, smooth or minutely pitted, without an areole"  (Wagner et al., 1999; pp. 701-702).

Habitat/ecology:  In Hawai‘i, "cultivated and naturalized primarily at low elevations in dry, disturbed areas, but occasionally at higher elevations in pastures and even margins of wet forest, 150-1,160 m" (Wagner et al., 1999; pp. 701-702).  In Fiji, "cultivated near sea level and also naturalized on cleared land and becoming a weed in villages and thickets up to an elevation of 900 m" (Smith, 1985; p. 111). In New Caledonia, "peu planté; assez répandu en lieux incultes" (MacKee, 1994; p. 73).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Mexico and southward to Costa Rica, widely cultivated for ornament and medicinal use and widely naturalized (Smith, 1985; p. 111).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia (Pacific offshore islands) Lord Howe Island	Lord Howe Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Orchard, Anthony E., ed. (1994) (p. 19) "Originally escaped from cultivation". Vouchers cited: J. Pickard 3329 (NSW), A.C. Beauglehole 5855 (NSW)., 1898, J.H. Maiden (NSW)
Australia (Pacific offshore islands) Norfolk Islands	Norfolk Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Orchard, Anthony E., ed. (1994) (p. 8) "Originally escaped from cultivation". Vouchers cited: P. Ralston 32 (A), G. Uhe 1223 (K), G. Uhe 1121 (K)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) San Cristóbal Group	San Cristóbal Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1985) (p. 111) Vouchers cited: Greenwood 24, 24Z; Smith 4113; Degener 14735; Parks 20842; Seemann 136; DA 12142; DA 16083; Gillespie 4080
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1960) (voucher ID: BISH 14478) Taxon name on voucher: Senna septemtrionalis (Viv.) H.S.Irwin & Barneby
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1969) (voucher ID: BISH 32816) Taxon name on voucher: Senna septemtrionalis (Viv.) H.S.Irwin & Barneby
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1928) (voucher ID: BISH 153615) Taxon name on voucher: Senna septemtrionalis (Viv.) H.S.Irwin & Barneby
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1927) (voucher ID: BISH 153616) Taxon name on voucher: Senna septemtrionalis (Viv.) H.S.Irwin & Barneby
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1941) (voucher ID: BISH 153617) Taxon name on voucher: Senna septemtrionalis (Viv.) H.S.Irwin & Barneby
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1947) (voucher ID: BISH 153618) Taxon name on voucher: Senna septemtrionalis (Viv.) H.S.Irwin & Barneby
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R. (1995) (p. 21) Voucher cited: Engilis 20 (BISH), Takeuchi 5784 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 701-702)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Lāna‘i Island	introduced invasive	Herbarium Pacificum Staff (1996) (p. 5) Vouchers cited: C.N. Forbes 277.L (BISH), G.C. Munro 169 (BISH), G.C. Munro 317 (BISH), G.C. Munro 393 (BISH).
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 701-702)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Moloka‘i Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 701-702)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 701-702)
New Caledonia New Caledonia	New Caledonia Islands		Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 89) Cassia floribunda in Swarbrick.
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced invasive cultivated	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 73) Vouchers cited: Pancher s.n. s.loc., Schlechter 15579,Cribs 1463, Däniker 687 (Z), Buchholz 1327, Veillon 1 (NOU), MacKee 12648, MacKee 16088
New Zealand (offshore islands) Kermadec Islands	Kermadec Islands	introduced invasive	Webb, C. J./Sykes, W. R./Garnock-Jones, P. J. (1988) (p. 637) "Established locally in waste places, old gardens, and open forest".
New Zealand (offshore islands) Kermadec Islands	Raoul Island	introduced invasive	Sykes, W. R. (1977) (p. 80)
New Zealand (offshore islands) Kermadec Islands	Raoul Island	introduced invasive	Sykes, W. R./West, C. J. (1996) (p. 455) Subject of control program.
Pitcairn Islands Pitcairn Islands	Pitcairn Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) Adventice

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)	Australia (continental)	introduced	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2011)
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	introduced invasive	Queensland Herbarium (2002) (p. 7)
Chile (continental) Chile	Chile (Republic of)	introduced	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2011)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	introduced cultivated	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2011) "Cultivated in Guangdong, Guangxi".
Colombia Colombia	Colombia (Republic of)	uncertain if native	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2011)
Costa Rica Costa Rica	Costa Rica (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
El Salvador El Salvador	El Salvador (Republic of)	native	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2011)
Guatemala Guatemala	Guatemala (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Honduras Honduras	Honduras (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)	introduced	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2011)
Malaysia Malaysia	Malaysia (country of)	introduced	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2011)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	introduced invasive	Owen, S. J. (1997)
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	introduced invasive	Webb, C. J./Sykes, W. R./Garnock-Jones, P. J. (1988) (p. 637) "Established locally in waste places, old gardens, and open forest".
Nicaragua Nicaragua	Nicaragua (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Panama Panama	Panama (Republic of)	uncertain if native	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2011)
Perú Perú	Perú (Republic of)	uncertain if native	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2011)
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)	introduced	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2011)

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

Information about Senna septemtrionalis as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

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

References:

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1927. Voucher specimen #BISH 153616 (Parks, H.E. 20842).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1928. Voucher specimen #BISH 153615 (Gillespie, J.W. 4080).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1941. Voucher specimen #BISH 153617 (Degener, O. 14735).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1947. Voucher specimen #BISH 153618 (Smith, A.C. 4113).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1960. Voucher specimen #BISH 14478 (Pillay, S. 12142).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1969. Voucher specimen #BISH 32816 (Parham, J.W. 16083).

Charles Darwin Foundation. 2008. Database inventory of introduced plant species in the rural and urban zones of Galapagos. Charles Darwin Foundation, Galapagos, Ecuador.

Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. 2011. Base de données botaniques Nadeaud de l'Herbier de la Polynésie Française (PAP). (online resource).

Herbarium Pacificum Staff. 1996. New Hawaiian pest plant records for 1995. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Miller, Scott, E., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 1995. Part 2: Notes. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers. 46:3-8.

ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre. 2011. International Legume Database & Information Service. Online searchable database.

MacKee, H. S. 1994. Catalogue des plantes introduites et cultivées en Nouvelle-Calédonie. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, 164 p.

Orchard, Anthony E., ed. 1994. Flora of Australia. Vol. 49, Oceanic islands 1. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.

Owen, S. J. 1997. Ecological weeds on conservation land in New Zealand: A database. Working draft. Wellington, New Zealand. Department of Conservation.

Queensland Herbarium. 2002. Invasive Naturalised Plants in Southeast Queensland, alphabetical by genus. Modified from: Batianoff, George N. and Butler, Don W. (2002). Assessment of Invasive naturalized plants in south-east Queensland. Appendix. Plant Protection Quarterly 17, 27-34. 11 pp.

Smith, Albert C. 1985. Flora Vitiensis nova: a new flora of Fiji. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Kauai, Hawaii. Volume 3. 758 pp.

Swarbrick, John T. 1997. Weeds of the Pacific Islands. Technical paper no. 209. South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia. 124 pp.

Sykes, W. R. 1977. Kermadec Islands flora: an annotated checklist. New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research Bulletin 219, Wellington. 216 pp.

Sykes, W. R./West, C. J. 1996. New records and other information on the vascular flora of the Kermadec Islands. New Zealand Journal of Botany 34:447-462.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R. 1995. Contributions to the Flora of Hawai‘i. IV. New Records and name changes. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Miller, Scott, E., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 1994. Part 2: Notes. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers. 42:13-27.

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).

Webb, C. J./Sykes, W. R./Garnock-Jones, P. J. 1988. Flora of New Zealand, Volume IV: Naturalised pteridophytes, gymnosperms, dicotyledons. Botany Division, DSIR, Christchurch. 1365 pp.

Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong. 2011. Flora of China (online resource).