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Friday, July 8, 2011

Sicklepod (Senna obtusifolia)



An annual to 3 feet tall with an unpleasant odor. Leaves: alternate, pinnately compound with 2-3 pairs of elliptic to obovate leaflets, each leaflet 1-2" long. Flowers are dull yellow with 5 unequal petals about 0.5" long that never seem to fully open. 1-2 flowers in axillary clusters. Bloom time: July thru September. Found in moist to dry open woods and roadsides. This plant is also called the Coffee Weed and Java Bean as the seeds of related species were roasted as coffee substitute and eaten during times of famine. The seeds are poisonous if ingested.





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