| Senna bicapsularis | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
|
Secure (NatureServe) |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Caesalpinioideae |
| Tribe: | Cassieae |
| Subtribe: | Cassiinae |
| Genus: | Senna |
| Species: | S. bicapsularis |
| Binomial name | |
| Senna bicapsularis (L.) Roxb. |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Numerous, see text |
|
Senna bicapsularis is a species of the legume genus Senna, native to northern South America, from Panama south to Venezuela and Colombia, and also the West Indies.[1] It is naturalised and invasive in several coastal areas in the tropics, including the Galápagos Islands and New Caledonia.[2] Common names include Rambling Senna (formerly "cassia"), Christmas Bush, Money Bush, and Yellow Candlewood.[2]
It is a shrub growing to 3.5 m tall. The leaves are 2.5–9 cm long, pinnate, with six to eight leaflets; the leaflets are 1.6–4.5 cm long and 1.1–2.3 cm broad. The flowers are produced a few together on short racemes, the individual flowers yellow, 12–16 mm long.[2]
Senna bicapsularis has been described under a wide variety of names that are today considered its synonyms. Some of these were also applied to related plants in error. This phenomenon has happened with other taxa, which were mis-applied to this plant:[3]