and naturalized in roadsides, thickets, and river 

 hanks in the coastal, limestone, and lower moun- 

 tain regions. Also in Vieques, St. Croix, St. 

 Thomas, St. John, and Tortola. 



Raxoe. — Native of southeastern Asia, originally 

 described from Burma. Planted and escaped or 

 naturalized throughout the AVest Indies from Cuba 

 and Jamaica to Barbados and Trinidad. Culti- 

 vated in southern Florida. Also introduced in 

 northern South America from French Guiana to 

 Colombia, in El Salvador, and perhaps elsewhere. 



Other common names. — flamboyan bianco, se- 

 plina, varital variable, alas de angel, baujinia 

 (Puerto Rico) ; Napoleon's plume, poor man's 

 orchid, bauhinia (A'irgin Islands) ; flamboyan ex- 

 tranjero, flamboyan cubano, pata de vaca (Do- 

 minican Republic) ; casco de mulo, pata de vaca 

 (Cuba) ; urape (Venezuela) ; butterfly bauhinia, 

 butterfly-ftower, pink baiihinia, pink orchidtree 



(United States) ; Jerusalem-date, butterfly-flower 

 (Jamaica) ; deux jumelles, caractere des hommes 

 (Haiti); vlinderbloem (Dutch West Indies). 



Botanical synonyms. — Bauhinia. kapphri 

 Sagot, Caspareopsis iiwiiand/'a (Kurz) Britton & 

 Rose. 



The specific name refers to the odd single stamen 

 which, however, is not restricted to this species. 

 The 2-lobed leaf characteristic of the genus cor- 

 responds to a leaf with 1 pair of leaflets partly 

 united. 



A few related species of shrubs or snuill trees 

 have been introduced as ornamentals. Palo de 

 oi-quideas, poor man's orchid, or Buddhist bau- 

 hinia (Bnvhinia rnriegafa L.*; synonym Phanera 

 rin'icf/afa (L.) Benth.), has large variegated or- 

 chidlike flowers with 5 stamens and the leaves di- 

 vided to the middle into 2 lobes. 



LEGUME FAMILY (LEGUMINOSAE) 

 CASSIA SUBFAMILY (CAESALPINIOIDEAE; CAESALPINIACEAE) 



72. Canafistula, golden-shower 



This familiar planted tree occasionally escaping 

 from cultivation is identified by : (1) the large even 

 piiniate leaves 12-16 inches long, with 8-16 ]3aired, 

 large, very thin, ovate leaflets o-6 inches long and 

 l%-2% inches broad; (2) long drooping clusters 

 of long-stalked, beautifid, golden yellow flowers 2 

 inches across tlie 5 widely sju'eading petals; and 

 (3) very long cylindrical blackish ]iods 15-24 

 inches long and about % inch in diameter. 



A medium-sized deciduous tree reported to be- 

 come 50 feet tall and IVo feet in trunk diameter, 

 usually much smaller, with straight axis, horizon- 

 tal and spreading branches, and an open crown of 

 thin foliage. The bark is smooth and gray, becom- 

 ing scaly and reddish brown. The dark green 

 twigs are minutely hairy. 



The alternate leaves are composed of 8-16 leaf- 

 lets with short stalks V8~^/4 ''i*^li 'oi^?- loosely ar- 

 ranged along the slender, finely hairy, green axis. 

 Leaflet blades are short-pointed at both ends, not 

 toothed on edges, green and hairless on upper sur- 

 face, and paler and minutely hairy beneath. 



The flower clusters (racemes), terminal and un- 

 branched, S-2-i inches or more in length, bear sev- 

 eral to many lax, slightly fragrant flowers on very 

 slender, nearly horizontal, gi-een stalks 11/4-2 

 inches long. There are 5 yellow-green finely hairy 

 sepals %6 i'l^"!! long; 5 stalked nearly equal, bright 

 yellow petals 1-11/4 inch long, elliptic and with 

 vedns; 10 stamens, 3 of which have very long fila- 

 ments, soon falling; and .slender, curved, minutely 

 hairy, green pistil fi/o inch long with stalked, 

 slender, 1-celled ovary and style. 



The pods, which hang downward, do not split 

 open but have many cross walls, each containing 

 a single seed embedded in dark brown sweetish 



Cassia fistula L.* 



pulp. The seeds are shiny, light brown, and flat- 

 tened. Flowering and fruiting nearly through 

 the year. 



The reddish wood is very hard, heavy (specific 

 gravity 0.9), strong, and durable. Suited as a 

 constiiiction wood and used also for cabinet and 

 inlay work, farm implements, and posts. 



In Puerto Rico the trees are valued principally 

 as ornamentals for the showy golden flowers. 

 However, the trees are very susceptible to attack 

 by scale insects. 



The drug cassia fistula, a mild laxative, is ob- 

 tained from the sweetish pulp of the seed pods, 

 which are sold in local markets for this purpose. 

 The medicinal properties were known even by the 

 ancient Egyptians. Flowers, seeds, and bark have 

 been employed also in medicine, and the bark in 

 tanning. 



Along highways and streets and around houses 

 chiefly in the moist and dry coastal regions of 

 Puerto Rico. Sometimes escaping and naturalized. 

 Also in Vieques, St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. 

 John. 



Range. — Native of tropical Asia. Widely cul- 

 tivated and locally naturalized in the tropics in- 

 cluding West Indies and continental tropical 

 America. However, in many places it is less com- 

 mon than related species known by the same com- 

 mon names. Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, Puerto 

 Rico and Virgin Islands, Lesser Antilles, and Trin- 

 idad. A common ornamental in southern Florida 

 and planted also in Bermuda. 



Other common names. — canafistula, cafiaf istola 

 (Spanish) ; golden-shower, golden-shower senna, 

 shower-of-gold, Indian laburnum, pudding-pipe- 



170 



