Sesbania sesban


Sesbania sesban, the Egyptian riverhemp, is a species of plant in the legume family, a fast growing species, it has four varieties that are currently recognized.
Synonyms include:
  • Aeschynomene aegyptiaca Steud.
  • Aeschynomene sesban L.
  • Emerus sesban Kuntze
  • Sesbania aegyptiaca Poir.

Description

A perennial shrub or small tree that grows up to 6 m tall sometimes reaching 8 m. It has paripinnately compound leaves with between 6-27 pairs of linear to oblong leaflets per pinnae; the leaves and rachis tend to be pilose. Flowers are yellow in color with brown and purple streaks on the corolla.

Distribution and habitat

Sesbania sesban occurs widely in tropical East and West Africa, in Southern Africa and in Asia. Commonly found on a variety of soil types including loose sandy soil and clay soil, it grows in areas with annual rainfall of between 500-2000 mm.

Infraspecies

Sesbania sesban var. bicolor F.W.AndrewsSesbania sesban var. nubica Chiov.Sesbania sesban subsp. punctata J.B.GillettSesbania sesban subsp. ''sesban''

Uses

Sesbania sesban is a nitrogen-fixing tree and may be useful in alley cropping. It is also used as a fodder crop and source of fuel wood.

Relevant literature

  • Ramni Jamnadass, Jean Hanson, Jane Poole, Olivier Hanotte, Tony J. Simons, Ian K. Dawson. High differentiation among populations of the woody legume Sesbania sesban in sub-Saharan Africa: Implications for conservation and cultivation during germplasm introduction into agroforestry systems. Forest Ecology and Management Volume 210, Issues 1–3, 2005, Pages 225–238, ISSN 0378-1127, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2005.02.033.