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Useful Tropical Plants

Smithia sensitiva

Aiton

Fabaceae

+ Synonyms

Aeschynomene tribuloides Baill.

Damapana sensitiva (Aiton) Kuntze

Petagnana sensitiva (Aiton) J.F.Gmel.

Smithia javanica Benth.

Common Name:

Smithia sensitiva
Flower and leaves
Photograph by: Dinesh Valke
Creative Commons License
Smithia sensitiva Smithia sensitiva Smithia sensitiva

General Information

Smithia sensitiva is a low-growing, annual plant with slender, many-branched, ascending to decumbent stems 15 - 90cm long[
266
Title
Flora of China
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
Year
1994
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
,
372
Title
Flowers of India
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.flowersofindia.net/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A wed site of native Indian plants, plus cultivated and naturalized species. It has good quality photos and terse details on more than 3,000 species and cultivars.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. It is also of possible use as a green manure crop.[
853
Title
Inventory of Seeds and Plants Imported Vol. 106
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
USDA, Washington.
Year
1932
ISBN
 
Description
Details of seeds imported for trials by the United States Department of Agriculture in the first quarter of 1931, often detailing the uses of the plant and various other miscellaneous information. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
]
Even though it has multiple uses as food and medicine, harvest is not a threat to the species. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[
338
Title
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

266
Title
Flora of China
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
Year
1994
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
,
464
Title
A Handbook to the Flora of Ceylon
Publication
 
Author
Trimen H.; continued by Hooker J.D.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Dulau and Co; London.
Year
1898
ISBN
 
Description
Very dated, but still a useful work. It can be downloaded from the Internet.

Range

E. Asia - widespread in temperate and tropical zones from Pakistan, India and China, through southeast Asia to New Guinea and northern Australia.

Habitat

Frequent in moist places, road sides and in open forests. Also found in field margins, wetlands; near sea level to 1,000 metres[
338
Title
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].

Properties

Conservation StatusLeast Concern
Edibility Rating *  *
Medicinal Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *
HabitAnnual
Height0.75 m
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details

Smithia sensitiva is a widely distributed species found in both the temperate and tropical regions of Asia and Australia[
338
Title
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].

The leaves are extremely sensitive, the leaflets closing up when touched[
464
Title
A Handbook to the Flora of Ceylon
Publication
 
Author
Trimen H.; continued by Hooker J.D.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Dulau and Co; London.
Year
1898
ISBN
 
Description
Very dated, but still a useful work. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
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[
755
Title
Nodulation Plants in GRIN Taxonomy
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.ars-grin.gov/~sbmljw/cgi-bin/taxnodul.pl?language=en
Publisher
United States Department of Agriculture
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An online database listing plants that have either positive or negative reports on root and stem nodulation with nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
].

Edible Uses

Leaves and young pods - cooked[
372
Title
Flowers of India
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.flowersofindia.net/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A wed site of native Indian plants, plus cultivated and naturalized species. It has good quality photos and terse details on more than 3,000 species and cultivars.
].

Medicinal

The juice of the root is used in the treatment of fevers[
272
Title
Plants and People of Nepal
Publication
 
Author
Manandhar. N. P.
Publisher
Timber Press. Oregon.
Year
2002
ISBN
0-88192-527-6
Description
Excellent book, covering over 1,500 species of useful plants from Nepal together with information on the geography and peoples of Nepal. Good descriptions of the plants with terse notes on their uses.
].

A decoction of the herb is given as a treatment for gravel and difficulty in micturition[
372
Title
Flowers of India
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.flowersofindia.net/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A wed site of native Indian plants, plus cultivated and naturalized species. It has good quality photos and terse details on more than 3,000 species and cultivars.
].

Leaves are febrifuge, galactagogue[
372
Title
Flowers of India
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.flowersofindia.net/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A wed site of native Indian plants, plus cultivated and naturalized species. It has good quality photos and terse details on more than 3,000 species and cultivars.
].
A lotion made from the leaves is applied to the head to relieve headaches[
372
Title
Flowers of India
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.flowersofindia.net/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A wed site of native Indian plants, plus cultivated and naturalized species. It has good quality photos and terse details on more than 3,000 species and cultivars.
].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is of possible value as a green manure crop[
853
Title
Inventory of Seeds and Plants Imported Vol. 106
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
USDA, Washington.
Year
1932
ISBN
 
Description
Details of seeds imported for trials by the United States Department of Agriculture in the first quarter of 1931, often detailing the uses of the plant and various other miscellaneous information. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-10-07. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Smithia+sensitiva>

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