Genus 3. 



SENNA FAMILY. 



337 



3. CHAMAECRISTA Moench, iMeth. 272. 1794. 



Herbs or low shrubs, with evenly pinnate leaves, often sensitive to the touch, mostly 

 persistent strongly nerved stipules, and yellow flowers in small axillary clusters or solitary 

 in the axils. Calyx-lobes acuminate. Corolla somewhat irregular, three of the five petals 

 smaller than the others. Stamens 10, all usually with perfect anthers opening by terminal 

 pores. Pods linear, flat, more or less elastically dehiscent, the valves twisting. [Greek, 

 low crest.] 



About 100 species, widely distributed in temperate and tropical regions. Besides the following, 

 some 15 others occur in the southern United States. Type species: Chamaecrista nictitans (L.) 

 Moench. 



Flowers 2"-4" wide, short-pedicelled. i. C. nictitans. 



Flowers I'-i'/S' wide, slender-pedicelled. 2. C. fasciculata. 



I. Chamaecrista nictitans ( L.) Moench. 



Sensitive Pea. Wild Sensitive-plant. 



Fig. 2441. 



Cassia nictitans L. Sp. PI. 380. 

 Chamaecrista nictitans Moench. 



1753- 

 Meth. 



272. 1794- 



Annual, erect or decumbent, branching, more 

 or less pubescent, 6'-i5' high. Stipules subu- 

 late-linear, persistent ; leaves petioled, sensitive, 

 bearing a small gland near the base of the 

 petiole; leaflets 12-44, linear-oblong, obtuse and 

 mucronate at the apex, rounded and oblique at 

 the base, inequilateral, 3"-8" long, i"-i*" wide; 

 flowers 2-3 together in the axils, short-pedi- 

 celled, 2"-4" broad ; calyx-lobes acute or acumi- 

 nate ; stamens 5, all perfect ; pod linear, nearly 

 glabrous, or pubescent, I'-il' long, 2'-2i' wide. 



In dry soil. Maine to Georgia, west to Indiana, 

 Kansas and Texas. Also in the West Indies. 

 July-Oct. 



Chamaecrista fasciculata (Michx.) Greene. Partridge Pea. Large-flowered 

 Sensitive Pea. Prairie Senna. Fig. 2442. 



Cassia fasciculata Michx. Fl. Bor. Am. I : 262. 



1803. 

 Cassia Chamaecrista robnsta Pollard, Mem. Torr. 



Ckib 21 : 218. 1894. 

 Chamaecrista fasciciilaris Greene, Pittonia 3 : 242. 



C. fasciculata Greene ; 

 U. S. 587. 1903. 



Pollard in Small, Fl. SE. 



Annual, erect or spreading, widely branched, 

 pubescent, with spreading hairs, or nearly gla- 

 brous. i-2i high. Stipules subulate-linear, 

 persistent; leaves petioled, with a sessile gland 

 on the petiole, sensitive; flowers 2-4 together 

 in the axils, I'-iJ' broad, slender-pedicelled, 

 showy, some of the petals often purple spotted ; 

 leaflets 20-30, linear-oblong or the upper lan- 

 ceolate, obtuse, mucronate, inequilateral, ob- 

 lique at the base, 4"-io" long, i*"-2" wide; 

 caly.x-Iobes long-acuminate; stamens lO, all 

 perfect, 4 of the anthers yellow, 6 purple; pod 

 linear, pubescent or glabrate, iJ'-2*' long, 

 2"-3" wide. 



In dry soil, Massachusetts to Florida, Minne- 

 sola, Texas and Mexico. Referred to Cassia 

 Dwarf-cassia. Magoty-boy-bean. July-Sept. 



Chamaecrista depressa (Pollard) Greene, of the Gulf States, which is apparently perennial, 

 with fewer leaflets, is recorded from Missouri. It is probably identical with C. chamaecristoidcs 

 (Collad.) Greene, of the same region. 



Chamaecrista L., in our first edition. 



