236 XL VII. LEGUMINOa.'E. Cassia. 



loose, terminal ; fc^'. subglobose. — A plant with bluish-green foliage, frequent in 

 dry soils, Can. and U. S. Stem very bushy, about 2f high. Leaflets about 7" 

 by 4 — 6", emarginate, petiole 1 — 2" long. Flowers 6 — 12 or more in each ra- 

 ceme. Petals 6" long, yellow. Legume about as large as a pea, on a long 

 stipe, mostly 1-seeded. Jl. — Sept. 



2. B. LEUCOPHAEA. Nutt. OchroUucovs Baptisia. 



Villous; petioks almost 0; l/ts. oblanceolate, varying to obovate; stip. and 

 bracts large, triangular-ovate, persistent ; r»c. secund, with numerous flowers 

 drooping on long pedicels ; kg. ovoid or roundish, inflated. — Dry, rich soil, South- 

 ern ! and Western States 1 Stem 2 — 3f high, smoothish when old. Leaflets 2 — 

 3' by J — 2', stipules more than half as large. Raceme 40 — 60-flowered. Pedi- 

 cels 1 — 2' long. Corollas very large, ochroleucous. Apr. 



3. B. LEUCANTHA. Torr. & Gray. (B. alba. Hook.) White-flowered Bapt. 



Glabrous and glaucous ; Ivs. on short petioles ; Ifts. cuneiform-obovate, ob- 

 tuse; rac. long, erect; irocte caducous ; kg. inflated, stipitate. — Very conspicu- 

 ous in prairies, &c., Mich. la. 1 to Ark. Stem thick, 2 — 3f high, branches 

 about 3, towards the summit. Racemes terminal, of large, white flowers, 6— 

 24' long, showy. Leaflets 1 — 2' long, J as wide, turning bluish-black in dry- 

 ing. Jn. Jl. 



4. B. AUSTRALis. R. Br. (B. ccerulea. Nutt.) Blue-flowered Baptisia. 

 Glabrous ; petioks short ; Ifts. obovate, or somewhat oblong, obtuse ; stip. 



lanceolate, rather longer than the petioles, distinct at base ; rat. long, erect ; 

 trracts caducous ; pcdkcls rather shorter than the calyx ; kg. oblong-oval, stipe 

 long as the calyx. — Alluvial soils, Ohio river, Cter^-.' Harper's Ferry ! to Ga. 

 and La. Stem 2 — 3f high, branched. Petioles 1 — 6" long. Leaflets IJ — 3' by 

 J — 1', sometimes acute. Stipules J — 1' long. Flowers indigo-blue, large. Pod 

 about 2' long. Jn. — Aug. 



34. C E R C I S. 



Gr. Kcpxii, a weaver's shuttle ; from the form of the legumes. 



Calyx broadly campanulate, 5-toothed ; petals scarcely papiliona- 

 ceous, all distinct ; wings longer than the vexillum and smaller than 

 the keel petals ; stamens 1 0, distinct ; legume compressed, with the 

 seed-bearing suture winged ; seeds obovate. — Trees with simple, cor- 

 date leaves ajid rose-colored flowers. 



C. CANADENSIS. Judas Tree. Red-bud. 



Lvs. broadly ovate-cordate, acuminate, villous on the veins beneath. — A 

 handsome tree, 20 — 30f high. Mid. and W. States. The wood is finely veined 

 with black and green, and receives a fine polish. Leaves 3 — 4' by 4 — 5', entire, 

 smooth, 7-veined, on petioles 1 — 2' long. The flowers appear in advance of the 

 leaves, usually in abundance, in small, lateral clusters. Corolla bright purple. 

 May.— The young twigs will dye wool a nankeen color. The old author Gerarde 

 in compliance with the popular notion of his time, says " This is the tree 

 whereon Judas did hang himself, and not on the elder tree, as it is said." 



Suborder 2.— C .J3SAL.PIX./E. 



Corolla not papilionaceous, irregular. Stamens 10 or fewer, all distinct. 



35. CASSIA. 



From the Hebrew word Katzioth. 



Sepals 5, scarcely united at base, nearly equal ; petals 5, unequal, 

 but not papilionaceous ; stamens 10, distinct; 3 upper anthers often 

 sterile, 3 lower ones beaked; legume many-seeded. — Trees, shrubs or 

 herbs. Lvs. simply, abruptly pinnate. 



1. C. Marilandica. American Senna. 



Plant smooth ; Ifts. 6 — 9 pairs, oblong-lanceolate, mucronate, an obovoid 

 gland near the base of the common petiole'- fls. in axillary racemes and termi- 

 nal panicles.— t; This beautiful plant is frequently met with in alluvial soils, 

 (U. S.) growing in close masses. 3— 5f high. S(cm round, striate, often with 



