Sicklepod, Java Bean

Senna obtusifolia (L.) Irwin & Barneby

Fabaceae (Legume Family)

▲ seedling

▲ young plants

▲▼ small, flowering plants

▲▼ larger, mature plants

▲▼ flowers and fruit

▲▼ flowers and fruit

▲ post-flowering plant with many seed pods

Sicklepod: 

·         annual weed with green, pinnately-compound leaves; leaflets oval, large, 4-6 per leaf; leaves sort of droop off rachis

·         stems green, ridged, growing 2-3’ tall

·         flowers round, bright yellow in axils of leaves followed by long, slender curving (sickle-shaped) pods

·         found in row crops, disturbed sites—common cropland weed in southern Missouri

·         has high tolerance for Round-UP, so appearing more in Round-Up ready cropping systems, especially soybeans

·         can be poisonous to cattle if grazed heavily