Egyptian Water-hemp
Sesbania sesban
Observed among roadside vegetation near Nairobi National Park, Kenya. December 2015.
This plant has been promoted for use in agroforestry restorations because the nitrogen fixing ability helps improve soil fertility. However, dense stands may be vulnerable to outbreaks of herbaceous insects such as the leaf beetle Mesoplatys. Follow the thumb link below for more on this associated insect.
Sesbania Leaf Beetle
FLOWERS: Yellow pea-flowers are mottled with reddish brown. Borne loosely on a tall arching spike.
SHRUB: Upper branches are herbaceous and lower woody. Reaches small tree size up to 4 m
tall. The photo below is from Lake Baringo, Oct. 2016.
LEAVES: Leaves are compound with numerous ovate leaflets.
RANGE: Grows especially in disturbed soil that is seasonally flooded.
FRUIT: The bean pods are very long and slender with numerous seeds close to the size of a rice grain.
UNARMED.
Fabaceae -- Bean Family -- Paplionoideae - Typical Bean Family
More Information:
- Book: Upland Kenya Wild Flowers and Ferns by A. D. Q. Agnew, 3rd Revised Edition, 2013, Nature Kenya - The East Africa Natural History Society
- Flora of Zimbabwe
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Google Images
- Google Scholar Literature Search