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Useful Tropical Plants

Senna lactea

(Vatke) Du Puy

Fabaceae

+ Synonyms

Cassia lactea Vatke

Common Name:

Senna lactea
Leaves and mature seedpods
Photograph by: Sebastian Wohlhauser
Creative Commons License
Senna lactea Senna lactea Senna lactea

General Information

Senna lactea is a deciduous tree; it can grow up to 30 metres tall. The bole can be up to 150cm in diameter[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use of its wood. It is grown to provide shade in coffee plantations.
Although Senna lactea has a comparatively small area of distribution, it has not been reported to be endangered. It has been recorded as locally common as an adventive in degraded vegetation and thus may survive in areas subject to forest degradation caused by human intervention[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References


Range

Africa - northern Madagascar.

Habitat

Humid evergreen forest from sea-level up to 1,600 metres, often along rivers, but it can also be found in degraded vegetation[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Properties

Other Uses Rating *  *
HabitDeciduous Tree
Height15.00 m
Cultivation StatusCultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

Senna lactea is planted as a shade tree in coffee plantations[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Other Uses

The yellowish wood is strong. It is used for furniture[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
The wood is used for fuel and for charcoal production[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Propagation

Seed - it has a hard seedcoat and 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.
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-10-08. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Senna+lactea>

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