Smooth Senna

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Smooth Senna

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Psilorhegma glauca
• Cassia sulfurea
• Cassia surattensis subsp. glauca
• Cassia sieberi
• Cassia glauca
• Cassia enneaphylla
• Senna surattensis subsp. sulfurea
• Senna arborescens
• Senna surattensis subsp. glauca
• Robinia javanica

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae within the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. It is further classified under the subclass Magnoliidae in the order Fabales, falling into the family Fabaceae. Finally, it is identified by its genus, Sennæ.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a broad geographical distribution across several key regions in Asia. Within China, it is found specifically throughout the South-Central and Southeast territories. Its presence extends significantly into the Indian Subcontinent, where it thrives in the state of Assam. Additionally, the species is commonly located within the borders of Bangladesh. Finally, its natural habitat encompasses the diverse landscapes of the East Himalaya region.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Senna sulfurea is characterized by its nature as a perennial species, allowing it to persist in its environment over multiple growing seasons. Throughout its development, the plant undergoes various stages of growth that contribute to its long-term survival within its ecological niche. As a perennial, it does not rely on a single reproductive event to complete its cycle, but rather establishes a lasting presence that can withstand seasonal fluctuations. This longevity is supported by its ability to maintain vegetative structures while periodically entering reproductive phases to produce seeds, ensuring the continuation of its lineage across successive years.

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Senna sulfurea is characterized by a versatile growth habit, functioning primarily as a woody shrub or a small tree that can reach a plant height ranging from a minimum of 2 meters to a maximum of 7 meters. This species exhibits a self-supporting structure, lacking the climbing mechanisms of a liana or vine, and is classified as an independent organism rather than a parasite. In terms of its ecological positioning, it is a terrestrial plant, manifesting as a non-epiphytic species that avoids both obligatory and facultative epiphytic lifestyles. While its habitat can vary across aquatic, semiaquatic, and terrestrial environments, its fundamental growth form remains rooted in terrestrial soil.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Growth form :

shrub

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

7 m

Plant height min:

2 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Senna sulfurea is fundamentally characterized by its metabolic processes, most notably its photosynthetic pathway, which follows the C3 mechanism. In this C3 pathway, carbon dioxide is fixed directly from the atmosphere by the enzyme RuBisCO into a three-carbon compound, the first stable intermediate in the Calvin cycle. This metabolic strategy dictates the plant's water-use efficiency and gas exchange dynamics, as it relies on keeping stomata open for CO2 uptake, which inherently involves transpiration. The plant's physiological framework is further defined by its ability to manage resource allocation between vegetative growth and the production of secondary metabolites, such as anthraquinones, which are synthesized through complex enzymatic pathways within its specialized tissues. These physiological adaptations enable the plant to navigate its specific environmental niches by balancing light absorption, thermal regulation, and the biochemical demands of its unique chemical profile.

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

Reproduction in Senna sulfurea is characterized by the production of seeds that exhibit a highly uniform physical profile. Detailed analysis of the seed metrics reveals a consistent seed mass, with a recorded mean, maximum, and minimum value all converging at exactly 0.02793 g. This lack of variance in seed mass suggests a highly stabilized reproductive mechanism, ensuring that each individual seed produced by the plant maintains a specific weight of 0.02793 g, which is critical for its dispersal and eventual germination processes.

Seed mass mean:

0.02793 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Senna sulfurea has 4 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Cassiaoccidentalin B, Cinnamtannin A2, Methyl 3,5-di-O-caffeoylquinate, cassiarin B.

Cassiaoccidentalin B

1. RSC advances

Cinnamtannin A2

1. RSC advances

Methyl 3,5-di-O-caffeoylquinate

1. RSC advances

cassiarin B

1. RSC advances