Senna bicapsularis

"Cassia bicapsularis" and "Cassia emarginata" redirect here. These taxa have been used for other plants too; see below.

Senna bicapsularis
Conservation status
Secure (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Fabales
Family:	Fabaceae
Subfamily:	Caesalpinioideae
Tribe:	Cassieae
Subtribe:	Cassiinae
Genus:	Senna
Species:	S. bicapsularis
Binomial name
Senna bicapsularis (L.) Roxb.
Synonyms
Numerous, see text

Senna bicapsularis is a species of the legume genus Senna, native to northern South America, from Panama south to Venezuela and Colombia, and also the West Indies. It is naturalised and invasive in several coastal areas in the tropics, including the Galápagos Islands and New Caledonia. Common names include rambling senna (formerly "cassia"), christmasbush, money bush, and yellow candlewood.

It is a shrub growing to 3.5 m tall. The leaves are 2.5–9 cm long, pinnate, with six to eight leaflets; the leaflets are 1.6–4.5 cm long and 1.1–2.3 cm broad. The flowers are produced a few together on short racemes, the individual flowers yellow, 12–16 mm long.

Synonyms

Senna bicapsularis has been described under a wide variety of names that are today considered its synonyms. Some of these were also applied to related plants in error. This phenomenon has happened with other taxa, which were mis-applied to this plant:

• Adipera bicapsularis (L.) Britton & Wilson
• Adipera spiciflora Pittier
• Cassia berterii Colla
• Cassia bicapsularis L.

Cassia bicapsularis sensu Bojer is erroneous for Senna pendula.

Cassia bicapsularis of other authors is erroneous for Senna pendula var. glabrata

• Cassia bicapsularis L. var. aristata DC.

Cassia aristata Benth. is a synonym of Chamaecrista aristata

• Cassia bicapsularis L. var. quadrijuga DC.
• Cassia collae G.Don
• Cassia emarginata L.

Cassia emarginata Clos is a synonym of Senna candolleana

Cassia emarginata Mill. is a synonym of Chamaecrista pilosa

• Cassia inflata Spreng.
• Cassia laevigata sensu Prain

Cassia laevigata Willd. is a synonym of Senna septemtrionalis

Cassia laevigata of other authors is erroneous for Senna occidentalis

• Cassia limensis Lam.
• Cassia sennoides Jacq.
• Cassia spiciflora (Pittier) Pittier
• Cathartocarpus bicapsularis (L.) Ham.
• Chamaefistula inflata G.Don
• Isandrina arborescens Raf.
• Isandrina emarginata (L.) Britton & Rose

Gallery

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  Flower of Senna bicapsularis

• 

  Flower of Senna bicapsularis

References

• International Legume Database & Information Service (ILDIS) (2005): Senna bicapsularis. Version 10.01, November 2005. Retrieved 2007-DEC-20.
• Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER) (2006): Senna bicapsularis. Version of 2006-OCT-25. Retrieved 2007-DEC-20.
• United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) (2007): Germplasm Resources Information Network - Senna bicapsularis. Retrieved 2007-DEC-20.