Christmas senna tree, Rambling cassia
Senna bicapsularis

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A herb or shrub. It is spreading and scrambling. It can grow 2-9 m high. The leaves are green and feather like. The leaves are compound with leaflets along the stalk. There are 2-6 pairs of rounded leaflets. It has oval leaflets 2-4 cm long. The flowers are pale yellow and very large. The stamens inside the flower are curled. The flowers occur in large sprays at the ends of branches. The fruit are a smooth pod 11 cm long and 1 cm wide.

There are 100 Cassia species. This group has been revised to a smaller more consistent group. Also as Caesalpinaceae.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It is invasive of scrub and waste places. It is native of tropical America and now distributed throughout the tropics. It grows between sea level and 2,130 m above sea level. In Tanzania it grows from sea level to 2,100 m above sea level and in areas with a rainfall between 1,100-1,800 mm. It can grow in arid places. It occurs in the West Indies and South America as well as other parts of the tropics. It grows from 1,000-1,900 m altitude in Ethiopia. It grows on light to medium soils. It grows in open sunny positions and on well drained soils. It is drought and frost tender.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, America, Antilles, Asia, Australia, Bermuda, Central America, China, East Africa, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guiana, Guianas, Guyana, Haiti, Indochina, Indonesia, Kenya, Malawi, Mexico, Mozambique, Myanmar, North America, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Puerto Rico, SE Asia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South America (country/location of origin), Suriname, Tanzania, Uganda, USA, Venezuela, Vietnam, West Africa, West Indies, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten raw. The pulp of the pod is sweet and like tamarind. The leaves are gathered, then chopped and wilted and cooked as a vegetable. The seeds are roasted and pounded and used as a substitute for coffee.

The leaves are used in Africa. It is unknown whether they are eaten in Papua New Guinea.

Edible parts

Fruit, leaves, vegetable, seeds - coffee, seeds - oil

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seeds. Seed need to have the hard seed coat broken. It can be used as a hedge.

Leaves are collected during the early rainy season.

Its other names

Local names

Alcaparillo, Angor angor, Bicho, Cafe de pobre, Cochimbo, Dan-kywe, Elekmari, Fula butter, Hoja de sen, Pohon kasia sena, Sen del pais, Stiver bush, Wild currant

Synonyms

Cassia berteri Colla; Cassia bicapsularis Linn.; Cassia spiciflora Pittier; Cassia ovalifolia M. Martens & Galeotti; Cassia mazanilloana Rose;