PERKINS THE LEGUMINOSAE OF POETO RICO. 159 



lary or terminal racemes; calyx 6 mm. long, petals 1.6 cm. long; legumes erect, thinly 

 coriaceous or cliartaceous, obtuse, apiculate, 7.5 to 8 cm. long, 1.2 cm. wide, tardily 

 dehiscent into 2 valves; seeds horizontal, shining. 



Near Juncos on Mount Florida; near Adjuntas, in the river valley at La Galsa and 

 on Mount Cienega at La Lucia; near Utuado; near Maricao, on Mount Alegrillo. 

 Jamaica, Martinique (cultivated). Tropical and subtropical America, chiefly in 

 waste and cultivated places. Brazil, Guiana, Colombia, Central America, Mexico, 

 and also in similar situations in tropical Asia, west Africa, and Australia, probably in 

 most places introduced. 



Like other common weeds of cultivation, this is a variable species, but it is always 

 readily recognized by its acute or acuminate glabrous leaflets, with glands between 

 all the pairs, or all but the terminal. . Cassia laevigata and C. chamaecrista, in their 

 respective habitats, are used as a substitute for the genuine senna leaves, folia sennae. 



Local names, sen del pais, yerba hedionda viacho. 



7. Cassia occidentalis L. 



(Urban, 273.) 



Stem firmly herbaceous or woody below, annual of 2 or 3 years' duration, erect, 

 a few feet in height often forming dense bushy masses; leaflets 4 or 5-jugate, ovate 

 or elliptic-lanceolate, 5 to 7 cm. long, 2 to 2.5 cm. wide; common petiole without 

 interpetiolular glands, but with a short obtuse gland near the base, black when^lry; 

 flowers in short few-flowered axillary racemes or fascicles; sepals obtuse, 6 to 8.5 mm. 

 long, glabrous; petals obtuse, 1.5 cm. long; legume linear, compressed, 7 to 11 cm. 

 long, 6 to 8 mm. wide, 2-valved, rather coriaceous, margined with straight sutures. 



Near Bayarnon; near Maricao, in pastures; near Mayaguez. Bermuda (introduced, 

 Hemsley), South Florida (Chapman), Bahama (Hitchcock), Cuba, Jamaica, Cayman 

 (Hitchcock), Haiti, St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. John (Eggers), St. Martin (Stockholm 

 Herbarium), St. Bartholomew, Martinique, St. Vincent, Bequia (Kew Bull. no. 81, p. 

 249), Barbados, Grenada, Tobago, Trinidad (Grisebach), Margarita. Tropical America, 

 Asia, and Africa; very abundant in waste and cultivated places. Probably of Ameri- 

 can origin; not yet received from Australia. 



The foliage and inflorescence of this species are generally nearly those of C. laevi- 

 gata, except as to the gland, which is always below the lower pair of leaflets, and usually 

 very near the base of the petiole, not between the leaflets. 



The root of Cassia occidentalis, cortex fedegozo, is a valued remedy for intermittent 

 fever, and by the American Indians is thought to be an antidote against various 

 poisons. Seeds and leaves are both used medicinally. In the West Indies the negroes 

 apply the leaves smeared with grease in cutaneous diseases of men and of animals. 

 The roasted seeds, known as Sudan coffee, are used as a substitute for coffee. 



Local name, hedionda. 



Cassia ligustnna L. (C. occidentalis variety glabra Stahl) is cultivated in gardens 

 near Bayarnon and Manati. It is native in Bahama, Cuba, Jamaica, and Haiti. 



8. Cassia tora L. 



(Urban, 274.) 



Stem annual, erect or ascending 0.75 to 1 meter high; leaflets 2 or 3-jugate; obovate 

 or obovate-oblong, varying from 1.5 to 3.5 or 5 cm. in length; common petiole with 

 conspicuous narrow-cylindrical glands between at least the lower pinnae; flowers 

 usually in pairs or solitary, axillary, with or without a short common peduncle; sepals 

 6 to 8 mm. long; petals 13 to 17.5 mm. long; legumes elongate, curved, narrow-linear, 

 10 to 20 cm. long, 4 to 6 mm. wide, dehiscent; seeds arranged lengthwise. 



25734 vol 10, pt 407 3 



