Growth Form: Coves' Cassia is a subshrub covered with grayish hairs (pubescence).
Leaves: Coves' Cassia has green or gray-green paired leaves, rounded around the edges and often pointed at the tips (see photo above); below the leaves are bristle-like appendages (stipules); compound with leaflets in 2 or 3 pairs on short stalk as shown above.
Flower Color: Coves' Cassia has yellow flowers that are quite showy, note the veins in the flowers are quite prominent; the fruit is a dry pod, a round cylinder that splits open when mature to release seeds.
Flowering Season: April to October; March to April in California.
Elevation: 1,000 to 3,000 feet (304 - 914 m) or so.
Habitat Preferences: Dry rocky slopes, sandy desert washes and mesas.
Recorded Range: In the United States Senna covesii is a Mojave and Sonoran desert species found in AZ, CA and NM. In Arizona it is found almost state-wide with few or no records in the northeast part of the state; in California it occurs in the southeast part of the state and in New Mexico in the southwest corner of the state (Clark County). It is also native to Baja California.
North America & US County Distribution Map for Senna covesii.
North America species range map for Coves' Cassia, Senna covesii:
Click image for full size map.
Threatened/Endangered Information:California Native Plant Society has identified Coves' Cassia Senna covesii as “Rare or Endangered” in California; (2B2 status); species is Threatened in the wild by vehicles and road maintenance.
Genus Information: In North America, USDA Plants Database lists 27native species and 14 introduced species for Senna. Worldwide, World Flora Online includes 362 accepted species names for the genus. The Plant List lists 351 species for Senna.
The genus Senna was published in 1754 by Philip Miller (1691-1771).
In the Southwestern United States: Arizona has 14 species of genus, California and New Mexico each have 11 species, Nevada has 3 species, Texas has has 23 species and Utah has 0 species. Data approximate, subject to revision.
Several members of the genus Senna have been re-classified from Cassia.
Comments: Coves' Cassia is generally found in the same habitat types as Twinleaf Senna except that Coves' Cassia is much more common at lower elevations. Twinleaf Senna also will be observed blooming much later in the year, especially following a heavy monsoon.
Coves' Cassia is often used by transportation departments as a roadside wildflower species and by homeowners as a landscape species.
Coves' Cassia, Senna covesii has attractive flowers, the flowers and their seeds may be visited by hummingbirds and/or small mammals including rodents and granivorous birds in search of nectar or food.
Beneficial Value to Butterflies, Honey Bees and Insects
Coves' Cassia, Senna covesii has attractive flowers which is known to attract butterflies and may attract moths, flies, honeybees, native Bees and other insects in search of food and nectar.
Cassia (=Senna) species are known to attract the following butterflies and/or their caterpillars;
Tailed Orange, Pyrisitia proterpia
Orange-barred Sulphur, Phoebis philea
Mercurial Skipper, Proteides mercurius
Cloudless Sulphur, Phoebis sennae
Sleepy Sulfur, Eurema nicippe
Find out more here from Butterflies and Moths of North America. (BAMONA)
In addition, according to the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, "Plant Care Information" notice, Sulphur, Hairstreak and Blue butterflies are attracted to all of the Sennas.
Etymology:
The genus “Senna” (Sen'na:) is derived from the Arabic name Sana.
The genus Senna was published in 1754 by Philip Miller (1691-1771).
The species epithet “covesii” (coves'ii:) is named in honor of Elliot Ladd Coues, (1842-1899). Elliot Ladd Coues was a naturalist and ornithologist. As an ornithologist he published Birds of the Northwest (1874) and Birds of the Colorado Valley (1878). The Coues White-tailed Deer was also named in his honor.
Note: According to Michael A. Charters, the discrepancy between the names Coves and Coues results from the fact that the Romans did not distinguish between 'u' and 'v,' thereby permitting authors when choosing Latin names to use either interchangeably.
Ethnobotany - Native American Ethnobotany; University of Michigan - Dearborn
