Sesbania javanica
Miq.
Aeschynomene paludosa Roxb.
Sesbania aculeata paludosa (Roxb.) Baker, p.p.
Sesbania cochinchinensis Kurz
Sesbania grandiflora auct.
Sesbania grandiflora Miq.
Sesbania paludosa auct.
Sesbania roxburghii Merr.
Common Name: Sesbania Pea
Sesbania javanica is a perennial plant with stems that become more or less woody near the base. It can grow from 1 - 5 metres tall[
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. The flowers are commonly harvested and sold as a food crop in local markets in Thailand. It is cultivated as a green manure and shade plant, and is also often grown as a hedge and an ornamental[
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
Sesbania javanica is widespread and abundant throughout much of its known range with no known threats. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[
E. Asia - s. China, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, New Guinea, Australia
Pools, marshes, low-lying wet areas and rice fields[
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[
Nodulation Plants in GRIN Taxonomy
http://www.ars-grin.gov/~sbmljw/cgi-bin/taxnodul.pl?language=en
An online database listing plants that have either positive or negative reports on root and stem nodulation with nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
Leaves - cooked and eaten as a vegetable[
Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants
http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336
Terse details of a huge range of useful plants.
]. The young shoots are cooked and eaten with various dishes[
Local Vegetables of Thailand
http://www.jircas.affrc.go.jp/project/value_addition/Local_Vegetables_of_Thailand_home.html
A website providing information on more than 100 species of plants used as vegetables and available in the markets of Thailand - ranging from the common to those only used locally
The flowers are eaten either raw, blanched, fried with egg or fermented. Because the flowers contain a carotenoid substance, they are used to give a yellow colour to various desserts such as kanom bua loi, which are coloured balls of sticky rice flour cooked in sweetended coconut milk[
The leaves are used medicinally[
]. No more information.
In ancient Thai traditional medicine, the plant (the report is probably referring to the flowers) was used as an antiinflammatory for treating insect bites, detoxicification, intestinal abscess healing, stomach discomfort and to relieve internal fever and thirst[
Antimutagenic activity of Sesbania javanica Miq. flower DMSO extract and its major flavonoid glycoside
Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health Vol 36 No. 6 pp 1543-1551 November 2005
Tangvarasittichai S. et al
The plant is sometimes grown as a green manure and living fence, especially in wetter soils[
The plant is used as a windbreak, live fence, living support for pepper plants and to provide shade in tea and coffee plantations[
The Leguminosae; A Source Book of Characteristics, Uses and Nodulation
Allen O.N.; Allen E.K.
An amazing and comprehensive work, giving a brief guide to the many genera of the family Fabaceae and also the principle uses of the genus.
Seed - it has a hard seedcoat and may benefit from scarification before sowing to speed up germination. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing.
Cuttings.
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2023-02-09. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Sesbania+javanica>