Common Name:

General Information

Senna spectabilis is a tree with a very dense, spreading crown; it can grow 7 - 18 metres tall. It can be evergreen in climates with rain all year round, but can become deciduous in areas with dry seasons The short bole tends to fork from near the ground, it can be 30cm in diameter[, , , , ].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of wood. It can be grown as a hedge and, because it produces an abundance of bloom over a long flowering period, it is often grown as an ornamental in gardens, parks, along streets etc, and also to provide shade[, ].
This taxon is not known to be specifically threatened or in decline. There are, however, a number of general threats to the habitats in which the taxon occurs that could impact on the population size, these included agriculture, logging and urban development. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2011)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela.

Habitat

Dryland forest in northeast Brazil, most commonly in open formations, favouring deep, well-drained, fertile soils[]. Moist and seasonally dry forests including pine and coastal forest, disturbed or secondary woodland and savannah[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Conservation Status	Least Concern
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Semi-deciduous Tree
Height	12.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Bees
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the tropics and subtropics, where it is found at elevations up to 2,000 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 15 - 25°c, but can tolerate 10 - 30°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 800 - 1,000mm, but tolerates 600 - 1,500mm[].
Requires a sunny position[]. Prefers a well-drained, deep, moist, sandy or loamy soil but flourishes even in poor, black cotton soils[]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 7, tolerating 5 - 7.5[]. Established plants are drought tolerant[].
There is some evidence that the tree is likely to escape from cultivation[].
A fast-growing tree, it can easily reach a height of 3.5 metres within 2 years from seed[].
There are conflicting reports on whether or not this tree has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, so it is unclear as to whether this tree fixes atmospheric nitrogen[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The plant has been used to treat ringworm and skin diseases[].

A leaf extract in alcohol has shown significant antifungal activity and suggests a potential use in infections caused by Candida albicans[].
Phytochemical studies isolated a new piperidine alkaloid (3-O-feruloylcassine and known spectaline and 3-O-acetylspectaline which showed moderate antioxidant activities and marginal COX-2 inhibition[]..
A study showed aqueous extracts of the plant to be effective against food-borne pathogen B. Cereus[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant can be grown for shade and as a boundary market[].
Leaves can be used as mulch[].

Other Uses

The heartwood is brown; the sapwood is whitish. The wood is moderately heavy, soft to hard, slightly compact, moderately durable if kept dry and resistant to the attacks of termites. Because of its small dimensions, it is only used for small implements, tool handles, boxes etc[, , ].
The wood is used for fuel and to make charcoal[, ].

Propagation

Seed - it has a hard seedcoat and may benefit from scarification before sowing to speed up germination. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing. Sow the seed in a partially shaded position in a nursery seedbed. A germination rate of less than 30% can be expected from untreated seed, with the seed sprouting within 10 - 30 days[]. When the seedlings are 4 - 6cm tall, pot them up into individual containers and they should be ready to plant out 4 - 5 months later[].

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