HITS since April 5, 2000
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Bag-pod sesbania is an annual herb in the legume family
that grows to 6 to 10 feet tall. The leaves consist of
20 to 40 alternate leaflets. Drooping spikes of yellowish
to coral-colored flowers appear in late summer. The beaked
pods consist of two membranes, the outer one thick and
the inner one papery. Each holds two or three seeds. The
pods persist on the plant long after the leaves have fallen.
The kidney-shaped seeds have a prominent hilum, or eye.
Distribution and habitat
These plants grow in the eastern half of Texas and extend
eastward through the coastal states to North Carolina.
They are usually found in well-drained sandy sites in
wet-ter regions and in low sandy areas subject to flooding
in drier regions. Regions: 1,
2, 3,
4, 5,
6, 7.
Toxic agent
Bag-pod sesbania contains sesbaimide, which is concentrated
in the seed. Fresh green plants are unpalatable; only
the mature dry seedpods and seeds are consumed. Animals
pastured with the plant during the growing season are
seldom poisoned, but naive ruminants, especially goats
and cattle, are often poisoned when they are introduced
to the dried plants in the fall and winter. Clinical
observations indicate that newly mature seeds are more
toxic than those that have weathered on the plant. The
seeds of bag-pod sesbania (S. vesicaria) seem to be
more toxic than those of sennabean (S. drummondii).
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Livestock signs
Signs of poisoning occur within 1 or 2 days after consumption
and can include:
• Depression
• Diarrhea
• Weakness
• Rapid heart rate
• Labored breathing
• Death
Death quickly follows the onset of clinical signs, which
in many cases go unobserved. Seeds and/or seed fragments
are routinely found in the rumen contents of animals
that die from eating this plant.
Integrated management strategies
Avoid placing hungry, naive ruminants in pastures
containing plants with mature seedpods. Fill newly
introduced animals with hay before releasing them,
and do not place them in heavily infested pastures
without supplemental feed. Heavy infestations can
be eliminated by mowing and prevented by good range
management practices, as these plants are poor competitors.
  
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Send Comments to: Dr.
Charles Hart, Dr. Bruce Carpenter,
Dr. John Reagor , or Dr.
Allan McGinty.
This material is based upon work supported by the Cooperative
State Research, Education, and Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture,
under a Southern Region IPM Program special project number 97-EPMP-1-0153.
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