344 DECANDRiA MONOGYNIA. Senna. 



coiis. Flowers terminal and axillary, when terminal they 

 form an uninterrupted raceme ; when axillary they are 

 tliree, four, or five, on a very short, common peduncle. 

 Pedicels much longer than the peduncle. Calyx, scarcely 

 half the length of the corol. Corol, the lower two petals, 

 rather smaller than the other three, and closer together. 

 Filaments, the lower one small and abortive, the next pair 

 largest, the next two pairs smaller, and with the large 

 pair, fertile, the upper one small, and barren. Legume 

 nearly straight, when full grown about as thick as a rat- 

 tan and nearly cylindric. Seeds numerous. 



9. S. obtusa. R. 



Diffuse, Leaflets five-pair, obovate obtuse. Petioles 

 without glands. Stipules cordate-lanceolate. Racemes 

 axillary. Legume lunate. 



Cassia senna. Burm. H. Lid. t. 33. /. 2. 



A native of the high, dry, uncultivated lands of My- 

 sore, where the leaves are used as a substitute for senna. 

 The seeds were sent by Dr. Buchanan from Seringapa- 

 tara to the Botanic garden at Calcutta, where the plant 

 thrives well, flowering and ripening its seed most part of 

 the year. 



Root perennial. Stems scarcely any, but many strag- 

 gling branches resting on the ground. Leaves nearly bi- 

 farious, five or six inches long. Leaflets from four to six 

 pairs, linear-oblong, with the exterior pair more cuneate, 

 all obtuse, and somewhat villous, about one inch long. 

 Petioles slightly channelled without any appearance of 

 glands. Stipules tapering, from an ovate-cordate base. 

 Racemes axillary, solitary, shorter than the leaves, bear- 

 ing a few small, yellow, short-pedicelled flowers. Bractes 

 ovate-cordate, acuminate, concave, one-flowered. Calyx 

 about a third shorter than the corol. Filaments, the two 

 uppermost small and sterile. Legumehrosid, thin, lunate, 

 transversely grooved, in other respects smooth ; about 



