North Carolina Wildflowers, Shrubs, & Trees

by Jeffrey S. Pippen | Back to Jeff's Plant Page | Jeff's Nature Pages


Fabaceae > Senna (sicklepod)

Maryland Senna, Wild Senna (Senna marilandica) Maryland Senna, Wild Senna (Senna marilandica)
Durham Co., NC
5 Aug 2006

Fairly rare in NC, Maryland Senna was formerly classified as Cassia marilandica.

Maryland Senna, Wild Senna (Senna marilandica) Maryland Senna, Wild Senna (Senna marilandica)
Durham Co., NC
5 Aug 2006

Sennas are hostplants for Cloudless Sulphur caterpillars.

Maryland Senna, Wild Senna (Senna marilandica) Maryland Senna, Wild Senna (Senna marilandica)
Durham Co., NC
5 Aug 2006

Senna marilandica grows in in and around open woods with rocky, diabase, or calareous soils.


Sicklepod (Senna obtusifolia) Sicklepod (Senna obtusifolia)
Edge of cultivated field in Pender Co., NC
13 Sep 2009

Named for the sickle-shaped seedpods, this species is common in the eastern half of North Carolina in disturbed areas, particularly edges of cultivated fields. Sicklepod is native to the American tropics but not to NC.

Sicklepod (Senna obtusifolia) Sicklepod (Senna obtusifolia)
Edge of cultivated field in Pender Co., NC
13 Sep 2009

Flowers are yellow with large floppy petals.

Sicklepod (Senna obtusifolia) Sicklepod (Senna obtusifolia)
Edge of cultivated field in Pender Co., NC
13 Sep 2009

One petal has been removed to show the inner flower detail.

Sicklepod (Senna obtusifolia) Sicklepod (Senna obtusifolia)
Edge of cultivated field in Pender Co., NC
13 Sep 2009

Senna species like Sicklepod are caterpillar foodplants for species like Cloudless Sulphur, Sleepy Orange, and Silver-spotted Skipper.

Sicklepod (Senna obtusifolia) Sicklepod (Senna obtusifolia)
Edge of cultivated field in Pender Co., NC
13 Sep 2009


Annotated habitat and distribution information listed above is from Radford, Ahles, & Bell. 1968. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas. UNC Press; Alan Weakley's Flora of the Carolinas, Virginia, and Georgia; and from personal observations and discussions with Will Cook, Harry LeGrand, and Bob Wilbur. Supplemental resources include USDA plants website, and NatureServe.


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Created on ... Oct 24, 2006 | jeffpippen9@gmail.com