Senna wislizeni
Encyclopedia
Senna wislizeni is commonly called Wislizenus' Senna or Shrubby Senna (formerly "cassia", but this generally refers to larger Cassiinae). Formerly in the "wastebin taxon
" Cassia
sensu lato, it is now placed in the genus
Senna
or sometimes separated in Palmerocassia together with Senna unijuga.
This is a perennial, deciduous
shrub native to Chihuahua and Hidalgo in Mexico; and Texas
, New Mexico
, and Arizona
in the U.S. It is a desert plant with good heat and drought tolerance.
S. wislizeni can reach ten feet (3 meters) tall with a ten foot spread. It has compound foliage. In summer, especially late summer, it bears yellow flowers developing into long, flat, dark brown pods.
The species is named after Dr. F. A. Wislizenus
, a botanist who studied Mexican flora in the mid-19th century.
There are several named varieties:
Wastebin taxon
Wastebasket taxon is a term used in some taxonomic circles to refer to a taxon that has the sole purpose of classifying organisms that do not fit anywhere else. They are typically defined by their lack of one or more distinct character states or by their not belonging to one or more other taxa...
" Cassia
Cassia (genus)
Cassia is a genus of Fabaceae in the subfamily Caesalpinioideae. Commonly called cassias, "cassia" is also the English name of Cinnamomum aromaticum in the Lauraceae , and some other species of Cinnamomum...
sensu lato, it is now placed in the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Senna
Senna (genus)
Senna , the sennas, is a large genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae, subfamily Caesalpinioideae. This diverse genus is native throughout the tropics, with a small number of species reaching into temperate regions. The number of species is usually estimated to be about 260, but some...
or sometimes separated in Palmerocassia together with Senna unijuga.
This is a perennial, deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
shrub native to Chihuahua and Hidalgo in Mexico; and Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, and Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
in the U.S. It is a desert plant with good heat and drought tolerance.
S. wislizeni can reach ten feet (3 meters) tall with a ten foot spread. It has compound foliage. In summer, especially late summer, it bears yellow flowers developing into long, flat, dark brown pods.
The species is named after Dr. F. A. Wislizenus
Friedrich Adolph Wislizenus
Friedrich Adolph Wislizenus was German-born American MD, explorer and botanist. He is best known of his printed recollections from travels to Northern Mexico and today's state of New Mexico.-Life:...
, a botanist who studied Mexican flora in the mid-19th century.
There are several named varieties:
- var. painteri (Britton & Rose) H.S.Irwin & Barneby (= Cassia wislizenii A. Gray var. painteri (Britton & Rose) H.S.Irwin & Barneby, Palmerocassia painteri Britton & Rose)
- var. pringlei (Rose) H.S.Irwin & Barneby (= Cassia morelensis Greenm., Cassia pringlei Rose, Palmerocassia pringlei (Rose) Britton & Rose)
- var. villosa (Britton & Rose) H.S.Irwin & Barneby (= Cassia wislizenii A. Gray var. villosa (Britton & Rose) H.S.Irwin & Barneby, Palmerocassia villosa Britton & Rose)
