Colutea is a genus of about 28 species of deciduous flowering shrubs in the legume family Fabaceae, growing from 2–5 m tall, native to southern Europe, north Africa and southwest Asia. The leaves are pinnate and light green to glaucous grey-green. The flowers are yellow to orange, pea-shaped and produced in racemes throughout the summer. These are followed by the attractive inflated seed pods which change from pale green to red or copper in colour.
Colutea arborescens, known as bladder senna—John Gerard cautioned, however, that they are not true senna, "though we have followed others in giving it to name Bastard Sena, which name is very unproper [sic] to it"—is indigenous to the Mediterranean; it has yellow flowers. It has a height and spread of up to 5 m. Other species include Colutea orientalis, with grey leaves and coppery flowers.
Colutea arborescens, is in general cultivation in the UK. It was imported early, before 1568, probably for medicinal purposes,[3] but now is grown mostly for its attractive seed pods., used in dried arrangements. Though in Virginia Thomas Jefferson had it and it appears in Lady Jean Skipwith's lists of plants,[4] in US gardens, it is little more than a marginal curiosity.[5]
Colutea arborescens will grow in poor sandy soils in preference to heavy or loamy soils. It has become naturalised in the UK, where it established itself in the sharp drainage of railway embankments.[6] It is easy to propagate from seed. It is generally pest resistant, though garden snails will climb up the plant in wet weather to eat the leaves. The hybridColutea × media (C. arborescens × C. orientalis) is also cultivated for its coppery flowers.
Colutea species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Coleophora colutella. The Bedouins of the Sinai and Negev would, in times of scarcity, eat the seeds of Colutea istria.[7]
^"Colutea L." Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2023-04-29.
^Alice M. Coats, Garden Shrubs and Their Histories (1964) 1992, s.v. "Colutea'.
^Ann Leighton, American Gardens in the 18th Century: 'For Use or For Delight' (1976:477, "Senna: Colutea arborescens"
^"In America, Colutea is not generally grown as an ornamental plant", is the succinct note of John L. Creech in Coats 1992; "actually a weed shrub... its only desirable quality is its apparent ease to grow in almost anysoli", remarks Donald Wyman, Wyman's Gardening Encyclopedia, s.v. "Colutea".
^Bailey, Clinton; Danin, Avinoam (1981). "Bedouin Plant Utilization in Sinai and the Negev". Economic Botany. Springer on behalf of New York Botanical Garden Press. 35 (2): 154. JSTOR 4254272.
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening ed. A. Huxley, 1992.
colutea, genus, about, species, deciduous, flowering, shrubs, legume, family, fabaceae, growing, from, tall, native, southern, europe, north, africa, southwest, asia, leaves, pinnate, light, green, glaucous, grey, green, flowers, yellow, orange, shaped, produc. Colutea is a genus of about 28 species of deciduous flowering shrubs in the legume family Fabaceae growing from 2 5 m tall native to southern Europe north Africa and southwest Asia The leaves are pinnate and light green to glaucous grey green The flowers are yellow to orange pea shaped and produced in racemes throughout the summer These are followed by the attractive inflated seed pods which change from pale green to red or copper in colour ColuteaColutea orientalisScientific classificationKingdom PlantaeClade TracheophytesClade AngiospermsClade EudicotsClade RosidsOrder FabalesFamily FabaceaeSubfamily FaboideaeTribe GalegeaeSubtribe AstragalinaeGenus ColuteaL 1753 SpeciesSee text Synonyms 1 Baguenaudiera Bubani 1899 Oreophysa Bunge ex Boiss Bornm 1905 Colutea arborescens known as bladder senna John Gerard cautioned however that they are not true senna though we have followed others in giving it to name Bastard Sena which name is very unproper sic to it is indigenous to the Mediterranean it has yellow flowers It has a height and spread of up to 5 m Other species include Colutea orientalis with grey leaves and coppery flowers Species editAs of April 2023 update Plants of the World Online accepted the following species 2 Colutea abyssinica Kunth amp C D Bouche Colutea acutifolia Shap Colutea afghanica Browicz Colutea arborescens L Colutea armata Hemsl amp Lace Colutea armena Boiss amp A Huet Colutea atabajevii B Fedtsch Colutea atlantica Browicz Colutea brachyptera Sumnev Colutea brevialata Lange Colutea buhsei Boiss Shap Colutea cilicica Boiss amp Balansa Colutea delavayi Franch Colutea gifana Parsa Colutea gracilis Freyn amp Sint Colutea insularis Browicz Colutea istria Mill Colutea jamnolenkoi Shap Colutea komarovii Takht Colutea melanocalyx Boiss amp Heldr Colutea multiflora Shap ex Ali Colutea nepalensis Sims Colutea orientalis Mill Colutea paulsenii Freyn Colutea persica Boiss Colutea porphyrogramma Rech f Colutea triphylla Bunge ex Boiss Colutea uniflora Beck ex Stapf Colutea variabilis BrowiczCultivation and uses editColutea arborescens is in general cultivation in the UK It was imported early before 1568 probably for medicinal purposes 3 but now is grown mostly for its attractive seed pods used in dried arrangements Though in Virginia Thomas Jefferson had it and it appears in Lady Jean Skipwith s lists of plants 4 in US gardens it is little more than a marginal curiosity 5 Colutea arborescens will grow in poor sandy soils in preference to heavy or loamy soils It has become naturalised in the UK where it established itself in the sharp drainage of railway embankments 6 It is easy to propagate from seed It is generally pest resistant though garden snails will climb up the plant in wet weather to eat the leaves The hybrid Colutea media C arborescens C orientalis is also cultivated for its coppery flowers Colutea species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Coleophora colutella The Bedouins of the Sinai and Negev would in times of scarcity eat the seeds of Colutea istria 7 References edit Colutea L Plants of the World Online Retrieved 1 August 2023 Colutea L Plants of the World Online Royal Botanic Gardens Kew Retrieved 2023 04 29 Alice M Coats Garden Shrubs and Their Histories 1964 1992 s v Colutea Ann Leighton American Gardens in the 18th Century For Use or For Delight 1976 477 Senna Colutea arborescens In America Colutea is not generally grown as an ornamental plant is the succinct note of John L Creech in Coats 1992 actually a weed shrub its only desirable quality is its apparent ease to grow in almost anysoli remarks Donald Wyman Wyman s Gardening Encyclopedia s v Colutea Noted by Coats 1964 1992 Bailey Clinton Danin Avinoam 1981 Bedouin Plant Utilization in Sinai and the Negev Economic Botany Springer on behalf of New York Botanical Garden Press 35 2 154 JSTOR 4254272 The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening ed A Huxley 1992 nbsp Wikispecies has information related to Colutea nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Colutea nbsp This Faboideae related article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Colutea amp oldid 1190766293, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
