With its thick, rugged trunk and a tangle of branching limbs, this plant shows off delicate, feathery leaves fluttering like wings at each tip. As it matures, both trunk and branches grow even sturdier, forming knobby bumps and taking on a mysterious, mountain-like character that looks straight out of another world. But even young plants are full of charm, making this an ideal, approachable introduction to the world of caudiciforms. It comes highly recommended for beginners, especially since it looks a lot like the so-called king of caudex plants, O. pachypus (though, interestingly, they aren't actually related—it's just that both evolved similar looks in similar environments).
At night, the leaves close up like a silk tree, revealing an adorable, surprising side. Leaves may also close if the plant needs water, so if you notice them still closed during the day, it's time to give them a drink. In winter (from November through May, in my experience) the plant drops its leaves and goes dormant, but by spring it's wide awake, cheerfully spreading fresh new leaves. Like many Senna, it also produces cute, yellow flowers with five rounded petals.
Some references claim that the name meridionalis comes from "meridian," pointing to the plant opening its leaves at midday, but this is probably a misunderstanding. Its older classification was "Cassia viguierella var. meridionalis," meaning "the variety of viguierella that grows further south." That explanation—just inherited over time—seems to be the real story here.
As the name suggests, this plant is a rare native of the southwest region of Madagascar.
| Season Type | - |
|---|---|
| Sun Exposure | - |
| Hardiness | 0℃ / 32℉ |
| Blooming Season | - |
Gray display shows general information for Senna.
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A lot of people think of Senna as a "one genus, one species" plant, but in truth it's a huge worldwide family with about 350 species. The reason this "one genus, one species" idea sticks is that, among caudiciforms, only "meridionalis" gets much attention in the horticultural trade.
# By the way, PUKUBOOK's general policy is to list all species, succulent or not (with genera like Senecio, most are wildflowers and not true succulents at all), but with Senna being just 1/350 in this group, we've focused only on this popular species for now.
The genus name "Senna" comes from the Arabic "sanā," which refers to a natural laxative (hence why this name pops up in some medicines).
Some references claim that "meridionalis" comes from the Latin "meridies"—meaning midday or south—suggesting it refers to the plant opening its leaves at noon, but this is likely a misunderstanding. On CactiGuide.com, they've noted that this idea is "probably" just an assumption, but it's the sort of speculation that, once written, easily becomes accepted fact.
# In botanical Latin, "meridionalis" is routinely used to mean "southern" or "growing in southern areas." In other words, it always has this meaning.
# Also, the habit of opening leaves during the day is found in nearly all legumes, so it would be odd for a species to be named for such a common trait.
The key detail: this species was originally classified as "Cassia viguierella var. meridionalis," meaning "the variety of viguierella found further south." The intent was simply to indicate a geographical difference in its habitat compared to the basic species. There's even a species called Senna septemtrionalis—meaning "northern"—which backs this up.
So, for "meridionalis," the name was simply passed down as-is. While "from the south" may seem vague without mentioning what it's being compared to, knowing this backstory makes it all make sense, doesn't it?
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