Senna durangensis
(Durango Senna)
Senna durangensis, Hot Springs-Rio Grande Village Trail, Big Bend NP 5952
Senna durangensis, Santa Elena Canyon Overlook, Big Bend National Park 4330
Senna durangensis, Cerro Castellan, Big Bend National Park 1638
Senna durangensis, River Road West, Big Bend National Park 0107
Senna durangensis, Cerro Castellan, Big Bend National Park 1656
Senna durangensis, Cerro Castellan, Big Bend National Park 1644
Senna durangensis, Rock Quarry Trail, Big Bend Ranch State Park 7158
Senna durangensis, Rock Quarry Trail, Big Bend Ranch State Park 7159
| Scientific Name | Senna durangensis (Cassia durangensis) | USDA PLANTS Symbol | SEDU |
| Common Name | Durango Senna | ITIS Taxonomic Serial No. | 505151 |
| Family | Fabaceae (Pea) | SEINet Reference |
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| Description | Habitat: Desert habitat, dry, gravelly, limestone soils; 1500 to 3500 ft.; in the US, found only in Brewster and Presidio counties. Plant: Low-growing perennial, up to 20 inches tall, usually much less; few to several stems densely covered with fine grayish or yellowish hairs. Leaves: Compound leaves with a pair of unsymmetrical broadly oblong to nearly round leaflets, 1-3/8 to 2 inches long and 3/4 tp 1-3/8 inches wide on petioles generally longer than the leaflets; thin, erect, brownish gland between the leaflets; fine hairs on both leaflet surfaces. Inflorescence: Clusters of 1 to 6 pale yellow flowers on peduncles arising from leaf axils and above the leaflets; drooping flowers about 3/4-inch across with 5 petals with obvious brownish veins; 10 light brown stamens, the upper 3 much shorter; hairy sepals about 1/4-inch long. Bloom Period: May to July and in the fall. Fruit: Usually erect and straight (sometimes slightly curved) pods 1-1/4 to 1-5/8 inches long and 1/4 to 1/3 inch wide, densely covered with fine hairs. References: Cassia durangensis in "Manual of the Vascular Plants of Texas" by Correll and Johnston; "Wildflowers of Texas" by Michael Eason, American Southwest and SEINet. Note: Very similar to S. bauhinioides with the main obvious differences being the leaf shape, the number of flowers per cluster and the shape of the pod. The images here are hopefully correctly identified. Also, "Little Big Bend" by Roy Morey shows the very similar S. pilosior but there is little in the literature to corroborate that as an ID. |
BONAP Distribution Map Map Color Key |
Texas Status: Native |
Banner photo of Castilleja indivisa and Lupinus ssp. taken along FM 1323 north of Johnson City, Blanco County
© Tom Lebsack 2024