Senna covesii

Common Name: Desert Senna, Covesˊ Cassia
Oˊodham Name: Koˊowĭ Ta:tam Audio
Group: Shrubs － Desert

Description

Senna covesii is a persistent annual or small shrub having relatively large, elliptical leaves with a dull green color. Leaves are pinnately compound with 6 or 8 leaflets covered. Leaflets, stems, and flower buds all are covered by fine hairs. Flowers appear during the summer monsoon and have a sweet smell like bubble gum. Fruit are the typically long pod of a legume and containing numerous seeds, which are liberated after the pod dries and splits lengthwise. It grows in gravelly soils on hillsides and in alluvial fans at 1000 to 3000 ft elevation.

Classification

Kingdom Plantae － Plants

Subkingdom Tracheobionta － Vascular plants

Superdivision Spermatophyta － Seed plants

Division Magnoliophyta － Flowering plants

Class Magnoliopsida － Dicotyledons

Subclass Rosidae

Order Fabales

Family Fabaceae － Pea family

Genus Senna Mill. － senna

Species Senna covesii (A. Gray) Irwin & Barneby － Couesˊ cassia

More Information

USDA Plant Profile and Map