Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Rosids: Fabids: Fabales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Sesbania punicea
FAMILY
Fabaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Check out EDDMapS.org to see where this has been reported.
See more pictures at www.invasive.org.
Learn more about Sesbania from the Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Sesbania punicea
FAMILY
Fabaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Sesbania punicea
SYNONYMOUS WITH Native & naturalized Leguminosae (Fabaceae) of the US (Isely, 1998)
Sesbania punicea
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 098-30-001:
Daubentonia punicea FAMILY Fabaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Daubentonia punicea
COMMON NAME:
Rattlebush, Purple Sesban, Scarlet Wisteria-tree, Red Sesban
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
USDA / Selected Weeds of the US. 1970 swus_page_229
)
JK Marlow jkm200229_2929
February Georgetown County SC
Morgan Park
)
JK Marlow jkm200229_2931
February Georgetown County SC
Morgan Park
)
JK Marlow jkm200229_2937
February Georgetown County SC
Morgan Park
)
JK Marlow jkm200229_2939
February Georgetown County SC
Morgan Park
)
JK Marlow jkm200229_2942
February Georgetown County SC
Morgan Park
)
Keith Bradley kab_sesbania_punicea_0812
May Richland County SC
)
Patrick D. McMillan pdmspunicea_huger1
May Berkeley County SC
Francis Marion National Forest
Introduced into Florida as an ornamental, it has spread thru the Southeast, per Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 1st ed. (Porcher & Rayner, 2001).
)
Patrick D. McMillan pdmspunicea_huger2
May Berkeley County SC
Francis Marion National Forest
Highly poisonous to fowl and sheep, and probably humans as well, per Wildflowers of the Carolina Lowcountry (Porcher, 1995).
)
Patrick D. McMillan pdmspunicea_huger3
May Berkeley County SC
Francis Marion National Forest
The common name is misleading: flower color much closer to red than purple, per Atlantic Coastal Plain Wildflowers (Nelson, 2006).
)
Richard and Teresa Ware rtw_sesbania_punicea_14
July
)
Richard and Teresa Ware rtw_sesbania_punicea_3
July
)
Barry Rice, sarracenia.com, Bugwood.org bug_5391764
Month Unknown
)
John M. Randall, The Nature Conservancy, Bugwood.org bug_5392587
Month Unknown
)
Karan A. Rawlins, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org bug_5403310
Month Unknown
Legume conspicuously 4-winged longitudinally, acuminate or tapering to a beak, per Weakley's Flora.
)
Rebekah D. Wallace, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org bug_5423637
Month Unknown Camden County GA
Cumberland Island National Seashore
Leaves 4-12", with 10-17 pairs of leaflets, per Atlantic Coastal Plain Wildflowers (Nelson, 2006).
COMPARE
pinnately compound leaves of shrubs
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Sesbania punicea
FAMILY
Fabaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Sesbania punicea
FAMILY
Fabaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Sesbania punicea
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Native & naturalized Leguminosae (Fabaceae) of the US (Isely, 1998)
Sesbania punicea
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 098-30-001:
Daubentonia punicea
FAMILY
Fabaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Daubentonia punicea
1369
Shrub
Perennial
Habitat: Ditches, wet fields, marshes, ponded wetlands, wet pinelands, per Weakley's Flora
Non-native: South America
Common in Coastal Plain (rare in Piedmont)
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
This plant may be causing problems in natural areas outside its native range, according to authorities such as:
- Alabama Invasive Plant Council, 2012
- Georgia Exotic Pest Plant Council, 2006
- SC Exotic Pest Plant Council, 2014
LEAVES:
Deciduous
Even-pinnately compound: 12-40 leaflets
Mostly alternate
FLOWER:
Summer/Fall
Orange or red
Bilaterally symmetrical
5-lobed campanulate calyx
5-parted papilionaceous corolla
10 stamens, diadelphous, 9 and 1
Superior ovary
FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Dark brown
Legume
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Wildflowers (Nelson, 2006) p211
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 1st ed. (Porcher & Rayner, 2001) p406
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 2nd ed. (McMillan, Porcher, Rayner, & White; 2022) p553
- Native Shrubs and Woody Vines of the Southeast (Foote & Jones, 1989) p080
- Wildflowers of the Carolina Lowcountry (Porcher, 1995) p210
- Field Guide to the Wildflowers of Georgia (Chafin, 2016) p204
- Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004) p324
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