Golden lantern tree
Senna reticulata

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A tree. It grows 12 m tall. The branches occur from the base. They are irregularly angled. The leaves are compound with leaflets along the stalk. There are 8-14 pairs of leaflets that are oblong and 7-18 cm long by 3-8 cm wide. The flowers are in groups at the ends of branches. They have yellow bracts. The flowers are buttercup shaped and orange to yellow. The fruit is a black pod 10-15 cm long. It is enlarged on each side with ribs across it. The seeds are narrowly oval, flattened and 5 mm long.

Also as Caesalpinaceae.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows along river banks and on the edges of forests in wet areas up to 1,000 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Amazon (country/location of origin), Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Central America, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, South America, Suriname, Trinidad-Tobago, Venezuela

How it is used for food

Edible parts

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seeds.

Its other names

Local names

Pohon lentera emas, Retama

Synonyms

Cassia annunciata E. H. L. Krause; Cassia dumetorum DC.; Cassia reticulata Willd.; Cassia strobilacea Kunth; Cassia tarantan Kunth; Chamaesenna reticulata (Willd.) Pittier;