leaves are also an aperient, and a tincture of them when dried 
operates like Senna. Further the Hindoo doctors affirm that 
the plant affords a cure for all poisonous bites. 
Cassia alata was introduced into England in 1731 from the 
West Indies, and has been raised and flowered at Kew from 
seeds received from the Kast Indies, but the specimen here 
figured was flowered by Mr. Bull in December of last year. 
Descr. A large shrub with a stout trunk, which in old 
plants is sometimes spinous from the persistent stipules; 
branches robust, downy. eaves two to three feet long, 
spreading, strict; rachis jointed and winged on each side, 
eglandular ; leaflets eight to fourteen pair, very shortly 
petioled, two to five inches long, linear-oblony, quite glabrous ; 
apex rounded or retuse, apiculate; base rounded or obliquely 
sub-cordate ; nerves 12 to 15 pair; stipules broadly ovate- 
cordate, suddenly acuminate, cuspidate, rigid, persistent, often 
reddish. Racemes terminal and axillary; rachis one to two 
feet long, stout, sub-erect, simple or forked, many-flowered ; 
bracts large, coriaceous, caducous, yellow. Flowers shortly 
pedicelled, one inch in diameter, golden yellow; Sepals 
oblong, obtuse, golden yellow. Petals shortly clawed. 
Legume six to ten inches long by three-quarters of an inch 
broad, flattened, with a broad crenate wing on the back of 
each valve, dark brown. Seeds very numerous, transverse, 
trapeziform and narrowed at the base into a stalk, margins 
and medial line thickened, faces excavated between the 
thicknesses.—J. 8. H. 
Fig. 1, petals; 2, stamens; 3, large stamen 4, pods; 5, seed; all but Fig. 4 
enlarged. 
