Sesbania somalensis is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae. It is a semi-woody herb with oblong leaflets, and three to six flowered inflorescences. The fruits are pods. The species is native to Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia.
Sesbania somalensis was described in 1963, and is listed as of Least Concern by the IUCN.
Taxonomy The species was described by Jan Bevington Gillett in 1963.
Distribution Sesbania somalensis is native to the seasonally dry tropical biome of Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia. It occurs on the Haud.
It grows near rocky water courses, on red soil and sun-baked mud, in dry scrubland dominated by Acacia and Commiphora. The species is present at elevations of .
Description Sesbania somalensis is a semi-woody herb that grows high.
The plant has oblong leaflets, which are up to long, and up to . The leaflets are in seven to fifteen pairs.
The inflorescences are racemes with three to six flowers. The flowers have stems. The calyx has a long receptacle, and a long tube. The standard is elliptical, long, and wide. The claw is long.
The fruit is a pod, measuring long, and around wide. The pod has eight to twenty-five seeds, which are around long, and wide.
Sesbania somalensis is sometimes confused with Sesbania bispinosa.
Conservation In 2010, the IUCN assessed Sesbania somalensis as of Least Concern. The population is thought to be stable, and faces no known threats.
Nomenclature In the Somali language, the species is known as , meaning "little Lebi." The name is also used for other species of Sesbania.
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