Common Name: Coffee Senna

General Information

Senna occidentalis is a very leafy, malodorous annual to shrubby plant that can grow up to 2 metres tall but is usually smaller[]. The plant is often annual, at least in seasonal climates[].
The plant is sometimes gathered from the wild for local medicinal use, whilst the seed is sometimes used as a coffee substitute. The plant is sometimes cultivated for medicinal purposes[].
Senna occidentalis is widely distributed throughout a range of habitats across the tropical regions of the Caribbean, Central and South America. It has also been introduced in parts of Asia, Africa, North America, and Oceania, and is listed as an invasive species in several countries. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2021)[].

Known Hazards

The foliage is poisonous and generally avoided by livestock[].
The seeds contain compounds that damage the liver, vascular system, heart and lungs of domestic livestock[].

Botanical References

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Range

S. America - Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guyanas; C. America - Panama to Mexico; Caribbean.

Habitat

Waste places, often in or near villages, at elevations from sea level to 1,200 metres[]. Disturbed sites (particularly fertile ones), river overflow areas, meadows, and forests; at elevations from near sea level to 900 metres[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Annual/Perennial
Height	2.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Coffee senna has a wide native range from the subtropics of S. America through to southern N. America and the Caribbean. It grows mainly at lower elevations. It favours moister areas in the tropics, in Puerto Rico it grows in areas where the mean annual rainfall is within the range 1,000 - 2,200mm[].
Prefers a deep, well-drained, moderately fertile sandy loam and a position in full sun[].
Originally native of the Americas, the plant is widely cultivated through the tropics and subtropics and is commonly naturalized in many areas[]. While coffee senna can be a weed of cultivated fields and plantations, it is principally a problem because it accumulates in heavily grazed pastures[].
The plant flowers throughout the year in non-seasonal climates[].
The plant has a characteristic foetid odour when bruised or crushed[, ].
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

The seeds are dried, roasted then ground into a powder and used as a coffee substitute[, , ]. It is called Mogdad or Negro coffee[].

Young leaves - steamed and eaten as a vegetable[, ].

Immature seedpods - steamed and eaten as a vegetable[].

Flowers - steamed and eaten as a vegetable[].

Medicinal

The whole plant is diuretic, febrifuge, stomachic and tonic[]. It is used in the treatment of hypertension, dropsy, diabetes, fevers, biliousness, rheumatism, ringworm and eczema[].
The plant is boiled and gargled for treating throat troubles[].
Applied externally, it is pounded and mixed with wood-ash and rubbed on areas of leishmaniasis and eczema[].

The root is cholagogue, emetic and purgative[]. An infusion is used in the treatment of bilious fever, ordinary fever, stomach-ache, and to ease menstruation[].
A tincture of the root is rubbed onto rheumatic areas[].

A tea made from roots and dried flowers is used as a treatment for colds and upset stomach[].

The leaf is used as a remedy for renal calculi[]. Leaves are made into a tea for treating afterbirth problems, fevers, coughs and colds, headaches, haemorrhage and thrush[].
An ointment prepared from the leaves is applied as a remedy for ringworm and other affections of the skin[].

The flowers are used in a preparation to reduce stomach acid in children[].

The seed is febrifuge and sedative[]. An infusion is drunk to calm one's nerves, and as a treatment for kidney problems, haemorrhage, worms, and cleaning womb and tubes[].

Extracts of the leaf and seed have shown antibiotic activity[].
The leaf contains flavonoid glycosides, an anthraquinone, and a bianthraquinone[].
The seed contains N-methyl morpholine, campesterol and beta-sitosterol glucosides[].

Other Uses

None known

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[]. Some 95% of scarified seeds sown in potting mix germinated between 5 and 36 days after sowing[].

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