Common Name(s)
-
leafless senna
-
pichanilla (Spanish)
-
escoba (Spanish)
Legume Clades
Cultivation Status in AZ
Rarely cultivated
Description
Leafless shrubs with many photosynthetic stems growing to 6.5 ft (2 m) high. Bark of older stems becomes orange and eventually gray and is smooth. Leaves are absent after the seedling stage. Masses of golden-yellow flowers are produced in open inflorescences in response to moisture during spring and summer.
Habitat
Native to the Monte Desert of northwestern Argentina where it occurs on rocky slopes as well as in alluvial soils of valleys. The plants thrive in very arid habitats.
Uses
The plants may be useful for erosion control.
Horticulture
Leafless senna is not currently available from nurseries. The unarmed, leafless, green stems and showy flowers are attractive. It can be planted as an informal hedge. The stems branch irregularly to form a spreading mound that may be open or relatively densely branched. This species is extremely drought-tolerant once established and survives in areas that receive as little as 4 in (100 mm) of yearly rainfall. Plants are hardy to at least 16° F (-9° C). Litter is minimal.
