Gleditsia LEGUMINOSAE Cassia 



lvs. pinnate or bipinnate: fls. polygamous, mostly in racemes; calyx lobes and petals 

 3-5; stamens 6-10, distinct: pod flat. 12 species, widely distributed, but not in 

 Australia; 8 in China. (Named for J. G. Gleditsch, Director of the Botanical Garden 

 at Berlin, died 1780.) 



Key to the Species 

 Lvs. with 16-20 lfts., often bipinnate: pod papery or leathery, twisted: 



spines compressed 1 • G. japonica 



Lvs. with 6-16 lfts., rarely bipinnate: pod woody, not twisted: spines 

 terete. 



Pedicels about 10 mm. long: lfts. ovate-oblong 2. G. macracantha 



Pedicels 3-5 mm. long: lfts. ovate-lanceolate 3. G. sinensis 



1. Gleditsia japonica Miq. (G. horrida Mak., not Willd.) \\\%M (Shan Tsao Chia; 

 Mountain Gleditsia) (R.M. 486). Tree, to 25m.; fls. VI-VIII; fr. X-XI; pod 

 twisted and blistered. China, Japan; locally in An., Ku. Planted, seeds, timber. 



2. Gleditsia macracantha Desf. T)% (Tao Tsao; Knife Soap) (R.M. 486). Tree, to 

 15 m.; fls. IV-V; fr. IX-X. Central China; locally in Ku. Planted, seeds, timber. 



3. Gleditsia sinensis Lam. %M (Tsao Chia; Soap Pod Tree) (R.M. 486). Tree, to 

 20m.; fls. V; fr. VIII-X. Eastern China; locally in An., Ku. Woodland. Fig. 

 168. 



5. Caesalpinia Linn. E/KH (Su Mu Shu; Haematoxylin Genus) 

 Shrubs, often prickly climbers (ours armed with recurved prickles), or trees with 



bipinnate lvs.: fls. showy, yellow or red, in axillary racemes; petals 5, nearly equal; 

 stamens 10, curved; anthers versatile: pod oblong, few-seeded, inflated (ours) or com- 

 pressed. 40 species, in all tropical regions; 10 in China. (In honor of A. Caesalpini, 

 Italian botanist, 1519-1603.) 



1. Caesalpinia sepiaria Roxb. WS (Yiin Shih; Cloud Seed) (H.F. 2:256). Woody 

 vine; fls. yellow, IV-V; fr. VIII-X; fig. racemes rigid-erect. Eastern Asia; 

 locally in An., Che., Ku. Brushland. 



6. Cassia Linn. Senna &§8M (Chueh Ming Shu; Crystal Genus) 

 Unarmed herbs (ours), shrubs or trees with pinnate lvs.: fls. nearly regular, 



mostly yellow; stamens 10, 3-5 often reduced or sterile; anthers opening by 2 apical 

 pores: pod many-seeded. 400 species, mostly tropical; 6 in China. (Hebrew: k'siha, 

 the cassia plant.) 



Key to the Species 



Lfts. 40 or more, falcate, very small: fls. small: pod flat, 1.5-3.5 cm. 



l on g 1 . C. mimosoides 



Lfts. 6-10, ovate-oblong, 2.5-7 cm. long: fls. 1.5-2 cm. in diam.: pod 



cylindric, 10-12 cm. long 2. C. occidentalis 



1. Cassia mimosoides Linn. [_L||iJL (Shan Pien Tou; Mountain Flat-bean) (H.F. 2:266). 

 Herb, 1-6 dm. high; fls. yellow, VII-VIII; fr. IX. Introduced from tropical 

 countries; locally in An. Roadside and field weed. Fig. 169. 



2. Cassia occidentalis Linn, ^fas. (Yang-ko Tou; Ram's Horn Bean) (G.M. 886). 

 Erect herb, to 1.5 m.; fls. yellow, VI-VIII; fr. IX. Introduced from tropical 

 America; locally in Ku. Cultivated, ornamental. 



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