Common Name:

General Information

Senna atomaria is a deciduous shrub or a small tree with a light, open, spreading crown; it can grow from 2 - 12 metres tall. The bole is straight but usually short, and can be up to 20cm in diameter; there is often more than one bole per plant[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of wood. It has potential for use in agroforestry systems, where it stabilizes and enriches the soil, and can be grown as an ornamental, valued particularly for its beautiful floral display[, ].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Colombia, Venezuela; C. America - Costa Rica to Guatemala; Caribbean - Windward Isles to Cuba and Bahamas.

Habitat

Dry forest and degraded, moist forest sites, often associated with Chrysophyllum oliviforme and Prosopis juliflora, preferring dry, rocky slopes; at elevations from sea level to 2,000 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	7.00 m
Growth Rate	Medium
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the tropics where it can be found at elevations up to 2,000 metres. It grows best in areas where the mean annual rainfall is within the range 500 - 1,200mm[].
Succeeds in full sun and in dappled, woodland shade[]. Often found wild on rocky and escessively drained soils with a wide range of textures[]. The plant has tolerated saline soils in trials[]. Tolerant of mildly acid to mildly alkaline soils[].
The leaves, twigs, and other vegetative parts have an unpleasant odour[].
Trees have a moderate rate of growth[].
The plant regrows vigorously after being coppiced or pollarded, producing much biomass. It can be used for fuel production[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

A tea made from the leaves is used as a purgative[].
The plant is used in treating cases of skin itch, massaging with crushed leaves, for skin discolouration and insect bites the macerated leaf decoction is applied on the affected area[].

Agroforestry Uses:

Senna atomaria has considerable potential for agroforestry use on irrigated land. It has an open canopy and so provides light shade in homesteads or pastureland. It does not fix nitrogen, but has the ability to form vesicular arbiscular mycorrhiza. The leaf fall, especially during the dry or leaf shedding season, enhances soil fertility as it decomposes. It also has potential use in the provision of fencing posts and for use as a boundary tree[].
The plant can be used in soil conservation initiatives to prevent erosion[].

Other Uses

The heartwood is dark brown; the sapwood is yellow[]. It is used in traditional construction[].
The wood can be used for fuel[]. It has a heat of combustion of 19 megajoules per kilo[].

Propagation

Like many species within the family Fabaceae, once they have been dried for storage the seeds of this species may benefit from scarification before sowing in order to speed up and improve 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 nursery seedbed. Germination takes place in 3 - 15 days, with a very high percentage of seeds sprouting[]. Plant out into permanent positions when around 20cm tall, which should be about 3 months or more after germination[].

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