Spiny Senna, Senna armata

Photo of a Spiny Senna shrub with attractive golden yellow flowers in a field with otherwise unremarkable desert scrub plants

You may find yourself going past or through.an otherwise unremarkable stretch on desert plants when all of a sudden the bright yellow blossoms of a shrub, maybe 3 or 4 feet tall and perhaps a little wider, will catch your eye. You may at first take it for a Brittlebush, except that the yellow is more of a golden amber yellow than Brittlebush, which is a member of the Sunflower Family, and the flowers are more numerous.

Closeup photo of a Spiny Senna plant showing the golden yellow flowers, the bean-like fruits, and the soft green spines Chances are, this is a Spiny Senna, a Fabacease, a member of the Pea Family. A closeup look will probably reveal bean-like fruits on the stems. Bean-like fruits are a sure sign of a Fabacease, which is also known as the Bean Family.

The scientific name for the Spiny Senna is Senna armata, which suggests arms or armor. Sure enough, the Spiny Senna is armed with spines, although they are soft spines and bend to the touch.

Good places to look for them? Try big flat areas with deep sand supporting the growth of such common plants of desert scrub as Creosote Bush, Cheese Bush, and cactus. In the southern part of Anza-Borrego, Indian Gorge/Indian Canyon is a good place. You will find Spiny Senna dotting the landscape from here to Canebrake.

In the east central part of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, the Mescal Bajada area off Highway 78 is always good, especially around the entrances to Mine Wash and Pinyon Wash. Don't be surprised if you see Spiny Senna along Borrego Valley Road either.