Coiled Cassia vs Java-bean

Senna circinnata compared with Senna obtusifolia

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Coiled Cassia	Java-bean
Kingdom same	Plantae (tumbuhan)	Plantae (tumbuhan)
Phylum same	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class same	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order same	Fabales (Legumes & Allies)	Fabales (Legumes & Allies)
Family same	Fabaceae	Fabaceae
Genus same	Senna	Senna
Species	Senna circinnata	Senna obtusifolia

Evolutionary Relationship

Coiled Cassia and Java-bean share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Senna.

Conservation Status

Coiled Cassia

LC — Least Concern

Java-bean

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Coiled Cassia	Java-bean
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Coiled Cassia

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Java-bean

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, and flooded grasslands and savannas, among 8 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (22 countries), Asia (13 countries), Europe (9 countries), North America (5 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (10 countries), and South America (5 countries).

Coiled Cassia

The Coiled Cassia (Senna circinnata) is a shrubby legume in the family Fabaceae, native to inland arid and semi-arid regions of Australia, particularly the mulga woodlands and shrublands of Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, and the Northern Territory. The common name 'coiled cassia' refers to the distinctive spirally coiled seed pods that develop after flowering—a morphological feature unique among Australian Senna species and immediately recognisable in the field. Plants typically grow 0.5–2 metres tall, with pinnate leaves and bright yellow flowers characteristic of the genus Senna. Like other acacias and legumes in arid Australian landscapes, Senna circinnata contributes to nitrogen fixation in nutrient-poor desert soils through root nodule symbiosis with rhizobia bacteria, benefiting the broader plant community. The species is drought-tolerant and well-adapted to the seasonal rainfall and thin soils of inland Australia, regenerating vigorously after fire and disturbance. It is assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN given its stable populations across a wide extent of occurrence within Australia's arid interior. Coiled Cassia provides browse for kangaroos and other herbivores and cover for small reptiles and birds in shrubland habitats.