Scientific Name: Senna covesii
Common Name: Coves’ Cassia, Desert Senna
Family: Fabaceae, Pea family or Leguminosae Family
Duration: Perennial
Size: Up to 20 inches or more.
Growth Form: Forb/herb, subshrub; covered with gray pubescence
Leaves: Green or gray-green; opposite, stipules bristle-like, canescent, leaflets in 2 or 3 pairs on short stalk.
Flower Color: Yellow, flowers showy but few, veins in flowers prominent, fruit a dehiscent legume.
Flowering Season: April to October.
Comments: Coves' Cassia is often used by transportation departments as a roadside wildflower species. Its flowers attract Carpenter Bees and Bumblebees. This is a favorite food plant for Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae) caterpillars. If you find a Coves' Cassia with chewed leaves or flowers, look for one of these caterpillars on it.
