PERKINS THE LEGUMINOSAE OF POETO RICO. 



155 



19. CASSIA L. 



Cassia L. Sp. PL 1: 376. 1753. 

 Senna Tourn.; Mill. Gard. Diet. ed. 8. 1768. 

 Bactyrilobium Willd. Enum. 439. 1809. 

 Chamaefistula G. Don, Hist. Dichl. PL 2: 451. 1832. 



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

 spreading, subequal or the anterior larger; stamens sometimes 10, all perfect and sub- 

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

 sometimes only 5; filaments very short or elongated, rarely nodose, incrassate, or 

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

 cells dehiscing 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 ciliate or turgid; legume terete, flat, com- 

 pressed, quadrangular, or alate, membranous, coriaceous, or ligneous, indehiscent, or 

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

 seeds albuminous, flattened at right angles to or parallel with 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 dilated 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 smaller, often 

 sterile; legume elongated, pendulous, terete or slightly 

 compressed, indehiscent or rarely dehiscent, divided by 

 transverse partitions into numerous 1-seeded 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, subacuminate, glabrous; 



petiolules rather long; legume round, 30 to 60 cm. long, 



levigate. 1 C. fistula. 



Leaflets 10 to 20-jugate, oblong, 3.5 to 5.5 ~m. long, 2.5 



cm. wide, obtuse at both ends, bothsurfases pubescent; 



petiolules short; legume compressed-cylindrical, 45 to 



60 cm. long, venose-rugose. 

 Perfect stamens usually 7, the 2 or 3 anterior somewhat longer, 

 the anthers linear curved, 6.5 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 Senna Benth.) 



Legumes round, turgid or slightly compressed; seeds 

 transverse, horizontal; leaves interglandular or eglan- 

 dular. (Section Chamaefistula D< '. I 

 Leaflets 2-jugate. 



2. C. grandis. 



3. C. quinquangulata. 



