Common Name:

General Information

Sesbania speciosa is an erect, bushy, annual to bienniall plant growing 1 - 3 metres tall[].
The plant is cultivated as a fibre plant in India and also as a green manure in several Asian countries[, ].
Sesbania speciosa is very local and seems to be decreasing in the wild; it has not been collected native since 1934[]. The plant is classified as 'Vulnerable' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2012)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

East tropical Africa - Kenya, Tanzania, northern Mozambique

Habitat

Swamps, ditches, river banks, seasonally flooded grasslands; usually at elevations below 100 metres[, ].

Properties

Conservation Status	Vulnerable
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Annual/Biennial
Height	2.00 m
Pollinators	Bees
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Grows best in a sunny position. It tolerates wet and saline soils[].
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

None known

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is grown as a green manure, usually in rice fields, but also for other crops such as wheat and sugar cane[, ]. It increases the yield of the successive crops distinctly[].
The plant is sometimes used for shading cocos in plantings[].

Other Uses

The plant is sometimes cultivated for its bark fibres, which are used for making ropes[].

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.

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