Common Name: Prickly Sesban

General Information

Sesbania bispinosa is an erect, annual to perennial, slightly woody plant growing from 0.60 - 3 metres tall[]. On open sites it is branched and spreading, whilst in crowded stands it is tall and straight[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials. It is widely cultivated, especially in southern Asia, as a green manure crop, fodder, shade and hedge plant, It is also grown for its fibres and provides an edible seed for times of shortage. The plant is frequently grown in rotation with paddy rice for soil improvement and fuel wood. It also has an economic perspective because of the gum that can be obtained from the seed (which is a substitute for guar gum) and also as raw material for the paper industry[]. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental.
Sesbania bispinosa is a common and a widespread species. It can occur in disturbed habitats and is a weed of rice cultivation areas; despite harvest for human uses there seem to be no serious threat to the species or its habitats. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2017)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Eastern tropical Africa; Afghanistan, Iran, Indian subcontinent, China, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos.

Habitat

Marshes, ditches, river margins; also a weed in cultivations on alluvial land, especially in rice fields; often in saline areas; flood-plains, seasonally inundated depressions, sandbanks of brackish lagoons; occasionally in open miombo woodland[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Annual/Perennial
Height	2.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Bees, Self
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of subtropical to tropical areas, where it is found at elevations up to 1,200 metres[]. It grows best in areas where the mean annual temperature falls within the range 18 - 30°c, though it can tolerate 10 - 34°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall of 700 - 1,200mm, but tolerates 500 - 2,900mm[].
Prefers a sunny position[]. Succeeds in heavy soils[]. Grows well under both water-logged or non-irrigated conditions[]. The plant is very tolerant of soil types, tolerating a pH ranging from 4.3 right up to 10[, ].
The plant can become a weed in rice paddy fields[].
A very fast growing plant, it competes well with weeds and may even suppress growth of Imperata cylindrica on sites where moisture is adequate[].
A green manure crop can be produced in 2 - 3 months from seed, and a fuel wood or seed crop in 5 - 6 months[].
Seed yields may be 600 - 1000 kg/ha, f[].
If used as a green manure crop for rice, the plant should be ploughed in just before the rice is planted out[]. Delaying the rice planting may lower its response to the green manure[].
The leaves of sesbania follow the direction of sunlight and fold at night[].
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[].

Edible Uses

Mature seeds - cooked[]. Mainly used in times of famine[].

Medicinal

The leaves and flowers are astringent[]. They are used in he treatment of inflammations, bacterial infections and tumours[]. They are prepared as poultices for external use or taken as a decoction for internal ailments[].

The seed, mixed with flour, is used to treat ringworm and other skin diseases and worms[].

Agroforestry Uses:

Sesbanis bispinosa fixes atmospheric nitrogen and is capable of growing in soils where few or no other crops can grow, such as on alkaline or saline soils of low fertility and poor texture. It has a remarkable sustaining quality on such soils and also improves soil permeability[]. The leftover stalks, roots and fallen leaves enrich the soil still further by adding organic matter[].
It is used as a temporary shade, windbreak or as a hedge[].
An important green manure crop - rice yields, after a green manure crop was ploughed in 60 - 70 days after planting, are equal to those obtained with the application of about 80 kg N/ha of chemical fertilizer[].

Other Uses

A fibre, known as 'Dundee Fibre', is obtained from the stem[]. It is used for making sails, nets etc[, ].
The fibre is said to be very useful and durable when used in water-related activities. In durability and strength, it is reputed to be even superior to jute fibre (from Corchorus spp)[, ]. The stems can also be a good source of pulp and paper[, ].

The seed has been found to be a potential source of cheap galactomannan gum, as the plant can be cultivated on substandard soils without extra care or investment[].

The plant yields light, small-sized firewood. When fully grown and dried, it provides good fuel with a calorific value of 4281 kcal/kg[].

Propagation

Seed - no pre-treatment is required. The plants can easily be established by direct seeding[].
The seed 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[].
Seed storage behaviour is orthodox; a germination rate of 24% has been recorded following 41 years of open storage at room temperature[].

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