FABACEjE, OR LEGUMINOSjE. 



with slight hairs. — Nearly resembles Senna in its properties. Ac- 

 cording to Bigelow about j more of the leaves of this plant than of 

 true Senna is required to produce a given effect. 



CATHARTOCARPUS. 



The flowers of Cassia. Legume terete, indehiscent, divided 

 into a number of spurious cells by transverse hard phragmata ; 

 cells 1 -seeded, filled with pulp. Embryo with an excessively 

 thick bony covering (testa ? albumen ?). — Trees. Leaves pin- 

 nated. Flowers in drooping racemes. 



545. C. Fistula Pers. synops. i. 459. — Cassia fistula Linn. sp. 

 pi. 540. Gcertn. ii. t. 147. f. 1. Woodv. t. 163. DC.prodr. 

 ii. 490. S. and C. iii. t. 155. Roxb. fl. ind. ii. 333. — Various 

 parts of the East Indies ; tropical Africa ; introduced into the 

 West Indies. 



A tree from 20 to 30 feet high. Leaves pinnate, from 12 to 18 

 inches long, deciduous. Leaflets from 4 to 8 pair, opposite or nearly 

 so, the lower broad-ovate, the upper oblong, entire, generally obtuse or 

 emarginate, polished on both sides, from 2 to 6 inches long and from 

 H to 3 broad. Petioles round, without glands. Racemes pendulous, 

 simple, from 1 to 2 feet long. Flowers large, bright yellow, fragrant, 

 on long, slender, smooth pedicels. Sepals 5, nearly equal, oval, smooth, 

 much shorter than the corolla. Petals oval, unequal. The 3 lower 

 filaments much longer than the others and having a double curve, but 

 no swelling. Anthers on the 3 long filaments oblong, opening by 2 lines 

 on the face, the other 7 clavate, with pores at the small end. Ovary 

 filiform, smooth, one-celled, containing numerous seeds, which at this 

 period are without any sign of separation, that appearing in the ad- 

 vanced state ; style short incurved ; stigma conical, smooth. Legume 

 cylindrical, 9-12 inches long, dark blackish brown, terete, smooth, blunt, 

 filled with a viscid black sweetish pulp, interposed between the seeds 

 and the transverse diaphragms. — An extract of the pulp gently laxa- 

 tive ; seeds in the dose of 4-6 drachms purgative; roots reputed an 

 excellent febrifuge. 



CESALPINIA. 



Sepals 5, unequal, combined at the base into a somewhat per- 

 sistent cup, the lower one the larger and slightly vaulted. Pe- 

 tals 5, unequal, unguiculate ; the upper one shorter than the 

 others. Stamens 10, distinct: filaments villous and ascending 

 at the base ; anthers all fertile. Style filiform. Legume un- 

 armed, compressed, 2-valved, wingless. Seeds roundish, oval, 

 or oblong, compressed. — Trees or shrubs, prickly or unarmed. 

 Leaves abruptly bipinnated. Flowers yellow, racemose, or pani- 

 cled. W. and A. 



546. C. Nuga Ait. hort. Keio. iii. 32. DC. prodr. ii. 481. — 

 Guilandina Nuga Linn. sp. pi. 546. (Humph, v. t. 50.) — Mo- 

 luccas. 



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