Seymeria cassioides

Seymeria cassioides
Photo was taken by Gil Nelson
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class:	Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Order:	Scrophulariales
Family:	Scrophulariaceae
Genus:	Seymeria
Species:	S. cassioides
Binomial name
Seymeria cassioides (J.F. Gmel.) S.F. Blake
Natural range of Seymeria cassioides from USDA NRCS Plants Database.

Common names: Yaupon blacksenna or Senna seymeria (Nelson 2005).

Description

Seymeria cassioides is an annual, herbaceous, root parasite on several species of southern pine (Fitzgerald et al 1977). “The stem get up to 1m tall, much branched, entire plant covered with glandular hairs. Leaves are finely divided into linear segments; in the field each segment gives the impression of being an individual leaf. Flowers are 1mm long, bright yellow with brown marks near the ovary, outside of the flower not hairy. Capsules are 5mm long, shiny brown when mature.” – Musselman and Mann 1978. "The flowers of this genus have an unusual type of anther opening, a small pore rather than a long slit.” – Musselman and Mann 1978. Very interestingly, S. cassioides is a hemiparasitic plant that attacks the roots of southern pine seedlings and saplings, but producing most of its own food (Crow and Shilling 1980; Stangle 1981).

Ecology

S. cassioides produces a lot of seeds; one plant can produce up to 150,000 (Grelen and Mann 1973).

Habitat

It usually lives in sandy soils. It can tolerate both moist and dry environments, though it seems to do better in most environments (Grelen and Mann 1973). Is considered the most serious native parasite to Musselman (1996). “Populations occur in wet to mesic pine flatwoods, wet savannas, seepage slopes, and ecotones between pine flatwoods and cypress/titi swamps (Kral 1983, USFWS 1992).”- Schulze et al 2002. Also, S. cassioides is associated with flatwoods communities (Grelen and Mann 1973).

Phenology

It blooms from September to October (Nelson 2005). “Each flower lasts for only one day before falling from the plant."- Musselman and Mann 1978.

Seed bank and germination

It requires exposed mineral soil and light on the soil surface to germinate (Stangle 1981). “Exposed mineral soil and light on the soil surface to germinate and develop.” (Wade 1978).

Fire ecology

It often reproduces profusely after fire because it has the ability to reproduce quickly on open ground (Crow and Shilling 1980). Thus, the best way to control S. cassioides may be to implement a prescribed burn after seeds germinate in the spring, but before flowers appear (Grelen and Mann 1973).

Cultivation and restoration

“Plantations are more subject to attack by seymeria than natural stands because of the greater area of exposed soil in the early years of establishment and the frequent use of fuel reduction burns throughout the rotation.” (Fitzgerald et al 1977).

References and notes

• Crow, A. B. and C. L. Shilling. 1980. Use of prescribed burning to enhance southern pine timber production. Southern Journal of Applied Forestry 4:15-18.

• Fitzgerald, C. H., R. C. Schultz, J. C. Fortson and S. Terrell. 1977. Effects of seymeria cassioides infestation on pine seedling and sapling growth. Southern Journal of Applied Forestry 1:26-30.

• Grelen, H. E. and W. F. Mann. 1973. Distribution of Senna seymeria (Seymeria cassioides) a root parasite on southern pines. Economic Botany 27:339-342.

• Musselman, Lytton J. "Parasitic Weeds in the Southern United States."Castanea 61.3 (1996): 271-92. Web.

• Musselman, Lytton J., and William F. Mann, Jr. "Root Parasites of Southern Forests." Southern Forest Experiment Station (1978).

• Nelson, Gil. East Gulf Coastal Plain. a Field Guide to the Wildflowers of the East Gulf Coastal Plain, including Southwest Georgia, Northwest Florida, Southern Alabama, Southern Mississippi, and Parts of Southeastern Louisiana. Guilford, CT: Falcon, 2005. 196. Print.

• Schulze, Dana Madsen, Joan L. Walker, and Timothy P. Spira. 2002. Germination and Seed Bank Studies of Macbridea alba (Lamiaceae), a Federally Threatened Plant. Castanea 67:280-289.

• Wade, D. D. 1978. Seymeria infestation and prescribed burns. Southern Journal of Applied Forestry 2:2

0148-4419.