If you would like to support this site, please consider Donating.
Useful Tropical Plants

Sesbania javanica

Miq.

Fabaceae

+ Synonyms

Aeschynomene paludosa Roxb.

Sesbania aculeata paludosa (Roxb.) Baker, p.p.

Sesbania cochinchinensis Kurz

Sesbania grandiflora auct.

Sesbania grandiflora Miq.

Sesbania paludosa auct.

Sesbania roxburghii Merr.

Common Name: Sesbania Pea

No Image.

General Information

Sesbania javanica is a perennial plant with stems that become more or less woody near the base. It can grow from 1 - 5 metres tall[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. The flowers are commonly harvested and sold as a food crop in local markets in Thailand. It is cultivated as a green manure and shade plant, and is also often grown as a hedge and an ornamental[
338
Title
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].
Sesbania javanica is widespread and abundant throughout much of its known range with no known threats. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[
338
Title
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References


Range

E. Asia - s. China, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, New Guinea, Australia

Habitat

Pools, marshes, low-lying wet areas and rice fields[
338
Title
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].

Properties

Conservation StatusLeast Concern
Edibility Rating *  *  *
Medicinal Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *  *
HabitShrub
Height3.00 m
PollinatorsBees
Cultivation StatusCultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details



This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[
755
Title
Nodulation Plants in GRIN Taxonomy
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.ars-grin.gov/~sbmljw/cgi-bin/taxnodul.pl?language=en
Publisher
United States Department of Agriculture
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An online database listing plants that have either positive or negative reports on root and stem nodulation with nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
].

Edible Uses

Leaves - cooked and eaten as a vegetable[
317
Title
Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Terse details of a huge range of useful plants.
]. The young shoots are cooked and eaten with various dishes[
1600
Title
Local Vegetables of Thailand
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.jircas.affrc.go.jp/project/value_addition/Local_Vegetables_of_Thailand_home.html
Publisher
Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences
Year
2010
ISBN
 
Description
A website providing information on more than 100 species of plants used as vegetables and available in the markets of Thailand - ranging from the common to those only used locally
]

The flowers are eaten either raw, blanched, fried with egg or fermented. Because the flowers contain a carotenoid substance, they are used to give a yellow colour to various desserts such as kanom bua loi, which are coloured balls of sticky rice flour cooked in sweetended coconut milk[
1600
Title
Local Vegetables of Thailand
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.jircas.affrc.go.jp/project/value_addition/Local_Vegetables_of_Thailand_home.html
Publisher
Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences
Year
2010
ISBN
 
Description
A website providing information on more than 100 species of plants used as vegetables and available in the markets of Thailand - ranging from the common to those only used locally
].

Medicinal

The leaves are used medicinally[
317
Title
Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Terse details of a huge range of useful plants.
]. No more information.
In ancient Thai traditional medicine, the plant (the report is probably referring to the flowers) was used as an antiinflammatory for treating insect bites, detoxicification, intestinal abscess healing, stomach discomfort and to relieve internal fever and thirst[
1603
Title
Antimutagenic activity of Sesbania javanica Miq. flower DMSO extract and its major flavonoid glycoside
Publication
Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health Vol 36 No. 6 pp 1543-1551 November 2005
Author
Tangvarasittichai S. et al
Publisher
 
Year
2005
ISBN
 
Description
 
].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is sometimes grown as a green manure and living fence, especially in wetter soils[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
,
317
Title
Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Terse details of a huge range of useful plants.
].
The plant is used as a windbreak, live fence, living support for pepper plants and to provide shade in tea and coffee plantations[
1309
Title
The Leguminosae; A Source Book of Characteristics, Uses and Nodulation
Publication
 
Author
Allen O.N.; Allen E.K.
Publisher
University of Wisconsin
Year
1981
ISBN
0-333-32221-5
Description
An amazing and comprehensive work, giving a brief guide to the many genera of the family Fabaceae and also the principle uses of the genus.
].

Other Uses

None known

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.
Cuttings.
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-28. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Sesbania+javanica>

Add a Comment:

If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.