Taxon:  Senna alata (L.) Roxb.



Summary
Genus:
Senna
Family:
Fabaceae (alt. Leguminosae)
Subfamily:
Caesalpinioideae
Tribe:
Cassieae
Subtribe:
Cassiinae
Nomen number:
100063
Place of publication:
Fl. ind. ed. 1832, 2:349.  1832
Verified:
02/29/1988 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
18 (3  active, 2  available) in National Plant Germplasm System.  (Map it)
Other conspecific taxa
Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations
Basionym
Cassia alata L.

Images (1 total. Click on image for more.)
Seed

Conservation Status

Reference(s)
  1. University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
  2. Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & M. T. Strong. 2012. Catalogue of seed plants of the West Indies. Smithsonian Contr. Bot. 98
  3. APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
  4. Dassanayake, M. D. & F. R. Fosberg, eds. 1980-. A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon.
  5. Du Puy, D. J. et al. 2002. The Leguminosae of Madagascar
  6. Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs
  7. Duke, J. A. 1981. Handbook of legumes of world economic importance Note: = Cassia alata
  8. George, A. S., ed. 1980-. Flora of Australia.
  9. Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
  10. Holm, L. et al. 1979. A geographical atlas of world weeds Note: = Cassia alata
  11. Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
  12. Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening
  13. Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
  14. Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
  15. Irwin, H. S. & R. C. Barneby. 1982. The American Cassiinae: a synoptical revision of Leguminosae tribe Cassieae subtribe Cassiinae in the New World. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 35:460.
  16. Isely, D. 1998. Native and naturalized Leguminosae (Fabaceae) of the United States (exclusive of Alaska and Hawaii)
  17. Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
  18. Lewis, G. P. & P. E. Owen. 1989. Legumes of the Ilha de Maraca
  19. Lewis, G. P. 1987. Legumes of Bahia
  20. Lock, J. M. & C. S. Ford. 2004. Legumes of Malesia: a checklist
  21. Lock, J. M. & J. Heald. 1994. Legumes of Indochina: a checklist
  22. Lock, J. M. 1988. Cassia sens. lat. (Leguminosae - Caesalpinioideae) in Africa. Kew Bull. 43:338.
  23. Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
  24. Mabberley, D. J. 1997. The plant-book: a portable dictionary of the vascular plants, ed. 2
  25. McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
  26. McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
  27. Padua, L. S. de et al., eds. 1999. Medicinal and poisonous plants 1. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 12(1):445.
  28. Parsons, W. T. & E. G. Cuthbertson. 1992. Noxious weeds of Australia Inkata Press, Melbourne, Australia. Note: = Cassia alata
  29. Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
  30. Smith, A. C. 1979-1991. Flora vitiensis nova.
  31. Smitinand, T. & K. Larsen, eds. 1970-. Flora of Thailand. Note: = Cassia alata L.
  32. Staples, G. W. & D. R. Herbst. 1996. Nomenclatural changes affecting cultivated plants. I. Baileya 23:169-183.
  33. Steyermark, J. A. et al., eds. 1995-. Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana. Note: Missouri Botanical Garden & Timber Press
  34. Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
  35. Wunderlin, R. & B. Hansen. Atlas of Florida vascular plants (on-line resource).
  36. Wunderlin, R. P. 1998. Guide to the vascular plants of Florida
  37. Zhu, X. Y. et al. 2007. Legumes of China: a checklist
Common names
LanguageNameAlternate namenoteseqCitation
Englishcandlebush  1Dassanayake, M. D. & F. R. Fosberg, eds. 1980-. A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon.
Englishcandlestick senna  1Staples, G. W. & D. R. Herbst. 1996. Nomenclatural changes affecting cultivated plants. I. Baileya 23:169-183.
EnglishChristmas-candle  1Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening
Englishempress-candleplant  1Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening
Englishringworm senna  1Mabberley, D. J. 1997. The plant-book: a portable dictionary of the vascular plants, ed. 2
Englishringwormbush  1Wiersema, J. H. & B. León. 1999. World economic plants: a standard reference CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
Englishringwormshrub  1Irwin, H. S. & R. C. Barneby. 1982. The American Cassiinae: a synoptical revision of Leguminosae tribe Cassieae subtribe Cassiinae in the New World. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 35:460.
Englishseven-golden-candles  1Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
Englishseven-golden-candlesticks  1Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening
Frenchbois dartre  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Frenchdartres  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Portuguese (Brazil)café-beirão  2Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Portuguese (Brazil)fedegoso-gigante  2Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Portuguese (Brazil)fedegoso-grande  2Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Portuguese (Brazil)mangerioba-do-Pará  2Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Portuguese (Brazil)mangerioba-grande  2Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Portuguese (Brazil)mata-pasto  2Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Spanishbajagua  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Spanishmocoté  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNoteReference
1NativeSouthern AmericaBrazilBrazil  Irwin, H. S. & R. C. Barneby. 1982. The American Cassiinae: a synoptical revision of Leguminosae tribe Cassieae subtribe Cassiinae in the New World. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 35:460.
1NativeSouthern AmericaNorthern South AmericaFrench Guiana  Irwin, H. S. & R. C. Barneby. 1982. The American Cassiinae: a synoptical revision of Leguminosae tribe Cassieae subtribe Cassiinae in the New World. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 35:460.
1NativeSouthern AmericaNorthern South AmericaGuyana  Irwin, H. S. & R. C. Barneby. 1982. The American Cassiinae: a synoptical revision of Leguminosae tribe Cassieae subtribe Cassiinae in the New World. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 35:460.
1NativeSouthern AmericaNorthern South AmericaSuriname  Irwin, H. S. & R. C. Barneby. 1982. The American Cassiinae: a synoptical revision of Leguminosae tribe Cassieae subtribe Cassiinae in the New World. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 35:460.
1NativeSouthern AmericaNorthern South AmericaVenezuela  Irwin, H. S. & R. C. Barneby. 1982. The American Cassiinae: a synoptical revision of Leguminosae tribe Cassieae subtribe Cassiinae in the New World. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 35:460.
1NativeSouthern AmericaWestern South AmericaColombia  Irwin, H. S. & R. C. Barneby. 1982. The American Cassiinae: a synoptical revision of Leguminosae tribe Cassieae subtribe Cassiinae in the New World. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 35:460.
2Cultivated    also cult. 
4NaturalizedAfricaEast Tropical AfricaKenya  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
4NaturalizedAfricaEast Tropical AfricaTanzania  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
4NaturalizedAfricaEast Tropical AfricaUganda  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
4NaturalizedAfricaNortheast Tropical AfricaChad  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
4NaturalizedAfricaNortheast Tropical AfricaSudan  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
4NaturalizedAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaMalawi  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
4NaturalizedAfricaWest Tropical AfricaCôte D'Ivoire  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
4NaturalizedAfricaWest Tropical AfricaGhana  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
4NaturalizedAfricaWest Tropical AfricaGuinea  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
4NaturalizedAfricaWest Tropical AfricaLiberia  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
4NaturalizedAfricaWest Tropical AfricaMali  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
4NaturalizedAfricaWest Tropical AfricaNigeria  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
4NaturalizedAfricaWest Tropical AfricaSierra Leone  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
4NaturalizedAfricaWest-Central Tropical AfricaBurundi  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
4NaturalizedAfricaWest-Central Tropical AfricaCameroon  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
4NaturalizedAfricaWest-Central Tropical AfricaDemocratic Republic of the Congo  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
4NaturalizedAfricaWest-Central Tropical AfricaGabon  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
4NaturalizedAfricaWestern Indian OceanComoros  Du Puy, D. J. et al. 2002. The Leguminosae of Madagascar
4NaturalizedAfricaWestern Indian OceanMadagascar  Du Puy, D. J. et al. 2002. The Leguminosae of Madagascar
4NaturalizedAfricaWestern Indian OceanMayotte  Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4NaturalizedAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentBangladesh  Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
4NaturalizedAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentBhutan  Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
4NaturalizedAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndia  Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
4NaturalizedAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentNepal  Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
4NaturalizedAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentPakistan  Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
4NaturalizedAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentSri Lanka  Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
4NaturalizedAsia-TropicalIndo-ChinaCambodia  Lock, J. M. & J. Heald. 1994. Legumes of Indochina: a checklist
4NaturalizedAsia-TropicalIndo-ChinaIndiaAndaman and Nicobar Islands Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
4NaturalizedAsia-TropicalIndo-ChinaLaos  Lock, J. M. & J. Heald. 1994. Legumes of Indochina: a checklist
4NaturalizedAsia-TropicalIndo-ChinaMyanmar  Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
4NaturalizedAsia-TropicalIndo-ChinaThailand  Lock, J. M. & J. Heald. 1994. Legumes of Indochina: a checklist
4NaturalizedAsia-TropicalIndo-ChinaVietnam  Lock, J. M. & J. Heald. 1994. Legumes of Indochina: a checklist
4NaturalizedAsia-TropicalMalesiaBrunei Darussalam  Lock, J. M. & C. S. Ford. 2004. Legumes of Malesia: a checklist
4NaturalizedAsia-TropicalMalesiaIndonesia  Lock, J. M. & C. S. Ford. 2004. Legumes of Malesia: a checklist
4NaturalizedAsia-TropicalMalesiaMalaysia  Lock, J. M. & C. S. Ford. 2004. Legumes of Malesia: a checklist
4NaturalizedAsia-TropicalMalesiaPhilippines  Lock, J. M. & C. S. Ford. 2004. Legumes of Malesia: a checklist
4NaturalizedAsia-TropicalPapuasiaPapua New Guinea  Lock, J. M. & C. S. Ford. 2004. Legumes of Malesia: a checklist
4NaturalizedAustralasiaAustraliaAustralia   
4NaturalizedNorthern America Mexico   
4NaturalizedNorthern AmericaSoutheastern U.S.A.United StatesFlorida Wunderlin, R. & B. Hansen. Atlas of Florida vascular plants (on-line resource).
4NaturalizedPacificNorth-Central PacificUnited StatesHawaii Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4NaturalizedPacificNorthwestern PacificMicronesia  Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4NaturalizedPacificNorthwestern PacificPalau  Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4NaturalizedPacificNorthwestern PacificUnited StatesGuam Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4NaturalizedPacificSouth-Central PacificCook Islands  Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4NaturalizedPacificSouth-Central PacificFrench Polynesia  Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4NaturalizedPacificSouthwestern PacificFiji  Smith, A. C. 1979-1991. Flora vitiensis nova.
4NaturalizedPacificSouthwestern PacificSamoa  Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4NaturalizedPacificSouthwestern PacificTonga  Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaCaribbeanWest Indies   
Native
Southern America
  • NORTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela
  • BRAZIL: Brazil
  • WESTERN SOUTH AMERICA: Colombia
Cultivated (also cult.)
Naturalized
Africa
  • NORTHEAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Sudan, Chad
  • EAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
  • WEST-CENTRAL TROPICAL AFRICA: Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon
  • WEST TROPICAL AFRICA: Côte D'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Sierra Leone
  • SOUTH TROPICAL AFRICA: Malawi
  • WESTERN INDIAN OCEAN: Comoros, Madagascar, Mayotte
Asia-Tropical
  • INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan
  • PAPUASIA: Papua New Guinea
  • INDO-CHINA: India [Andaman and Nicobar Islands], Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam
  • MALESIA: Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines
Australasia
  • AUSTRALIA: Australia
Northern America
  • SOUTHEASTERN U.S.A.: United States [Florida]
  • REGION: Mexico
Pacific
  • NORTH-CENTRAL PACIFIC: United States [Hawaii]
  • NORTHWESTERN PACIFIC: Micronesia, Palau, United States [Guam]
  • SOUTH-CENTRAL PACIFIC: Cook Islands, French Polynesia
  • SOUTHWESTERN PACIFIC: Fiji, Tonga, Samoa
Southern America
  • CARIBBEAN: West Indies

Reference(s)
  1. Du Puy, D. J. et al. 2002. The Leguminosae of Madagascar
  2. Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
  3. Irwin, H. S. & R. C. Barneby. 1982. The American Cassiinae: a synoptical revision of Leguminosae tribe Cassieae subtribe Cassiinae in the New World. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 35:460.
  4. Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
  5. Lock, J. M. & C. S. Ford. 2004. Legumes of Malesia: a checklist
  6. Lock, J. M. & J. Heald. 1994. Legumes of Indochina: a checklist
  7. Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
  8. Smith, A. C. 1979-1991. Flora vitiensis nova.
  9. Wunderlin, R. & B. Hansen. Atlas of Florida vascular plants (on-line resource).
Economic Uses
UsageTypeNoteReference
Environmentalerosion control Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
Environmentalerosion control Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Environmentalerosion control Smith, A. C. 1979-1991. Flora vitiensis nova.
Environmentalornamental Duke, J. A. 1981. Handbook of legumes of world economic importance Note: = Cassia alata
Medicinesfolklore Staples, G. W. & D. R. Herbst. 1996. Nomenclatural changes affecting cultivated plants. I. Baileya 23:169-183.
Medicinesfolklore Padua, L. S. de et al., eds. 1999. Medicinal and poisonous plants 1. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 12(1):445.
Medicinesfolklore Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs
Medicinesfolklore McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
Medicinesfolklore Smith, A. C. 1979-1991. Flora vitiensis nova.
Weed  Parsons, W. T. & E. G. Cuthbertson. 1992. Noxious weeds of Australia Inkata Press, Melbourne, Australia. Note: = Cassia alata
Weed  Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=100063. Accessed 15 April 2026.