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PERKINS THE LEGUMINOSAE OF PORTO RICO. 155 



19. CASSIA L. 



Cassia L. Sp. PL 1: 37G. 1753, 

 Senna Touun.; Mill. Gard. Diet. ed. 8. 17G8. 

 Bactyrilobiam Willd. Enuni. 439. 1809. 

 Chamacfisttda G. Dox, Hist. DirhL PL 2: 451. 1832. 



Calyx with a very short receptacle and 5 imbricate segments; petals 5, imbricate, 

 spreading, subcqual or the anterior larger; stainena sometimes 10, all perfect and sub- 

 equal, or the anterior shorter, or the tliree anterior very small, abortive, or wanting, 

 sometimes only 5; filaments very short or elongated, rarely nodose, inera^ssate, or 

 dilated in the middle; anthers uniform^ or those of I he anterior stamens larger, their 

 celle deliiscing in terminal pores or in short lateral slits; ovary sessile or stipitate, free 



in the fundus of the receptacle, often arcuate, multiovulate, style short or elongated; 

 stigma terminal, small, truncate, rarely ciliatc or turgid; legume terete, flat, com- 

 pres:5ed, quadrangular, or alate, membranous, coriaceous, or ligneous, indehi.scent, or 

 sometunes 2-valved, with or without transverse internal septa, seldom with pulp; 

 seeds albuminous, flattened at right angles to or parallel witli the valves, rarely rhom- 

 boid-subterete, transverse, rarely longitudinally disposed in the legume; cotyledons 

 ovate or oblong, plane, sometimes sinuous. Trees, shrubs, or herbs; leaves paripin- 

 nate, rarely wanting or reduced to small squamae; stipules various; glands of the com- 

 mon petiole sessile or stipitate, verrucose, hypocrateriform, scutellate, near the base 

 or interpetiolular; flowers yellow or red, in axillary or terminal racemes, corymbs, or 

 fascicles; occasionally solitary or geminate in the axils. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



Perfect stamens usually 7, the 3 anterior with long curved 

 filaments, often dilat<'d beyond the middle, and ovate 

 or elliptical anthers, not exceeding 4 to 6 mm. in length, 



dehiscing longitudinally; the 4 to 6 intermediate fila- 

 ments much shorter, erect, dehiscing by means of pores; 

 the remaining anthers 3, 2, or 1, much smalhT, often 

 sterile; legun\e elongated, pendulous, terete or slightly 

 compressed, indehisccnt or rarely dehiscent, divided by 

 transverse partitions into numerous l^eeded cavities; 

 seeds horizontal, flattened at right angles to the axis of 

 the legume. (Subgenus and Section Fistula DC) 



Leaflets 4 to 8-jugate, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, 7 to 12.5 

 cm. long, 4 to 7 cm. wide, subacuminatc, glabrous; 

 petiolules rather long; legume round, 30 to GO cm. long, 



le^'igate. 



Leaflets 10 to 20-jugate, ol)long, 3.5 to 5.5 -m. long, 2.5 

 cm. wide, obtuse at both ends, both surfaces pui)escent; 

 petiolules short; legume compressed-cylindrical, 45 to 

 60 cm. long, venose-rugose. 2. C. yrandis. 



Perfect stamens ue^ually 7, the 2 or 3 anterior somewhat longer, 

 the anthers linear curved, G.5 to 13 mm. long, opening at 

 the top by 1 or 2 pores, rarely dehiscing longitudinally; sta- 

 minodia usually 3; valves not elastic, the legume rarely in- 

 dehiscent. (Subgenus Sexna Benth.) 



Legumes round, turgid or slightly compressed; seeds 



1. C. fistula. 



transverse, horizontal; leaves interglandular or eglan- 

 dular. (Section Ciiamaefistula DC.) 

 Leaflets 2-jugate. 



3, C. quinquangulata 



