Common Name:

General Information

Sesbania tetraptera is an erect, annual or biennial herb growing 1- 4 metres tall[].
The edible leaves are sometimes gathered from the wild and consumed locally.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Arica - Niger, Chad, Sudan, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Mozambique, S. Africa.

Habitat

Temporarily flooded grassland; clayey black hollow with drying crack; clayey-sandy or sandy places; riverside pans; dry limestone; mixed and Colophospermum woodland; at elevations of 90 - 1,600 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Annual/Biennial
Height	2.50 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Requires a sunny position. Plants can withstand seasonal inundation of the soil[].
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

Leaves - cooked as a potherb[].

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

All species in this genus have potential for use as soil-improving ground cover plants that can greatly reduce soil erosion[].

Other Uses

None known

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.

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