Tea Senna / Fishbone Senna
Origin of name
Family: CAESALPINIACEAE
- Chamaecrista meaning “low crest“
- mimosoides meaning “resembling a mimosa“
Occurrence
A local plant of coastal areas and floodplains, usually growing in seasonally waterlogged places in sandy soil.
Tolerates drought, full sun/light shade, poor soils and seasonal floods. Roots form nodules inhabited by nitrogen-fixing soil bacteria.
Appearance
Small (0.5-1m), short-lived perennial shrub with woody base, mimosa-like leaves, and numerous, wiry stems. Yellow flowers (peak Jan-Apr) lead to thin, flat seed pods.
A self-seeding, green manure plant providing light ground cover and stabilises loose, sandy soils. Sometimes weedy but can be controlled. Leaf infusion used as a tea in Japan. Larvae of Macleay’s Grass Yellow butterfly eat the leaves. Stock may eat young leaves – palatability is low.
