1. Sesbania herbacea (Mill.) McVaugh (syn.: S. exaltata (Rafin.) Rydberg ex A.W. Hill, S. macrocarpa (Muhlenb.) Rafin.) (N-Am.) – A rare and ephemeral alien, mostly associated with soybean importation. First recorded at the Sobelgra grain mill in the port of Antwerpen in 1993 (Verloove & Vandenberghe 1994). Subsequently seen every year at places where soybeans are transloaded in the port areas of Antwerpen and Gent (see also Verloove & Vandenberghe 1994), but much decreasing lately. Occasionally seen elsewhere, for instance near a grain mill in Izegem in 1995 and on the gravelly banks of river Maas near Uikhoven in 1995 (Verloove & Vandenberghe 1996). In 2003 found on a dump in Roeselare (along with Euphorbia dentata s.l. and other exceptional aliens), probably from birdseed waste. In 2003 also recorded in a garden in Hooglede (where previously soybean had been dumped). In the latter case flowers and (immature) fruits were collected (all previous records are of non-flowering plants). In 2016, however, a tall flowering and fruiting individual was found on a demolition site of the former Vamo Mills oil mill at the Albertkanaal in Merksem, along with many other typical soybean aliens.
Norwegian records of Chamaecrista nictitans (see photo in Melseth & al. 2007) almost certainly also belong with Sesbania herbacea.
The application of the name Sesbania herbacea is controversial. We here follow Mabberley (2008) but the issue surely is not solved yet (see also Isely 1986 or Wilbur 1989).
Literature:
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Clement E.J. (1979) Adventive news 14. More about manures. BSBI News 22: 12-14.
Grenfell A.L. (1987) Adventive News 37. Soya waste aliens at Avonmouth Docks. BSBI News 47: 36-38.
Isely D. (1986) Notes about Psoralea sensu auct., Amorpha, Baptisia, Sesbania and Chamaecrista (Leguminosae) in the Southeastern United States. Sida 11(4): 429-440. [available online at: http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/10006113#page/441/mode/1up]
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Melseth T.H., Grøstad T. & Halvorsen R. (2007) Blant Ipomoea’er på Place d’Amerique. Om et eventyr blant soyaadventiver sommeren og høsten 1999 – og en delvis nekrolog. Blyttia 65(4): 224-234. [available online at: http://nhm2.uio.no/botanisk/nbf/blyttia/blyttia_pdf/Blyttia_200704_skjermkvalitet_hele.pdf]
Verloove F. & Vandenberghe C. (1994) Nieuwe en interessante graan- en veevoederadventieven voor de Belgische en Noordfranse flora, hoofdzakelijk in 1993. Dumortiera 58-59: 44-59.
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Wilbur R.L. (1989) The status of the binomial Sesbania macrocarpa Muhl. (Leguminosae). Castanea 54(2): 121-127.