Senna singueana

Senna singueana (Delile) Lock (Cassia singueana Delile)

Common names

Winter Senna (English); kafungunasha, lubangeni, mufungunasha, mukupachiwa, munsoka-nsoka, munumka-nsimba (Bemba); mukuzya-ndola, mukuza-ndola, mutant-nyelele (Kunda); kalusapwe, mtanta-nyerere, mtawe-tawe, ndia-pumbwa, kamoto, mdya-pumbwa, mpatsachokolo, mtere-vere, muluza, namagara, napalapala, ntanda-nyerere, ntewelewe (Nyanja); kalibabwe, punda-mbuzi (Tumbuka).

General description and distinguishing characteristics

Senna singueana is a shrub or small tree up to 5 m in height. It is most easily recognised by its yellow flowers, its pendulous, snake-like fruits, and the stalked glands between the leaflets. Bark grey-brown, flaking and rough. Young branchlets with a reddish tinge. Leaves compound, paripinnate with a stalked gland between each pair of leaflets. Leaflets in 7-12 pairs, elliptic to elliptic-oblong, 2.5-5 x 1-1.5 cm, ± hairy, apex and base rounded. Flowers yellow, showy, up to 3.5 cm in diameter, produced in large terminal sprays up to 15 x 20 cm (March-November). Fruit a glossy, yellow, cylindrical pod up to 25 cm long but usually 8-10 x 0.8 cm, constricted between the seeds. Produced in clusters the year after flowering.

Range and habitat

Senna singueana occurs throughout tropical Africa, primarily in low lying woodland, bushland and thicket. In the Luangwa Valley it is found in riverine fringe woodland and thicket, and also in Mopane woodland on sand.