280 XL. LEGUMINOS.E. [Cassia. 



* 



scarcely connected at the base. Petals 5, spreading, nearly equal or the 

 lower outer ones rather larger. Stamens usually 10, free, either all nearly 

 equal and perfect or 2 or 3 lower ones larger or on longer filaments, and 3 

 or 4 upper ones reduced to small staminodia ; anthers when perfect opening 

 at the end in pores or in short lateral slits. Ovaiy with several ovules, 

 incurved, tapering into a short style. Pod cylindrical or flat, indehiscent or 

 2-valved. Seeds oblong or obovate, transverse, with fleshy albumen ; coty- 

 ledons flat or rarely folded, usually cordate ; radicle short, straight.— Trees 

 shrubs or herbs. Leaves abruptly pinnate, the leaflets opposite. Flowers 

 yellow or very rarely reddish-piirple or white, iu axillary or terminal racemes 

 or solitary. Bracts usually deciduous. Bracteoles none. 



A large genus, widely distributed within the tropica* and subtropical regions of both the 

 New and the Old AYoild, but particularly numerous in America. Of the 27 Australlaa 

 species, 5 are widely spread over tropical Asia and Africa, 1 is American also found in Africa, 

 the remaining 21 are all endemic. The genua is divided into several sections, founded chiefly 

 npou the fruit; but as some are only represented in Australia by single species, and the per- 

 fect pod rarely accompanies the specimeiiSj the chief divisions in the following synopsis are, 

 for convenience, selected aLo from other characters. 



A. Flowers in pedunculate racemes or umbels^ either aiillary or forming a terminal 

 panicle or comjiojoid raceme, (The Australian species all shrubs or trees.) 



Stamens 7 perfect, of which 2 or 3 lower ones larger or on longer 

 filaments; 3 small and imperfect staminodia. 

 Lower stamens with long filaments and short ovate anthers, the 

 other perfect ones witt oblong-linear anthers. Pod very long 

 and thick, with horizontal seeds (Cathartocarpus) . . . 1, C. BrewsterL 

 Perfect anthers all oblong-linear, the lower ones longer. 



Racemes short, almost corymbose, axillary or in a narrow ter- 

 miual panicle. Pod thick or turgid. Seeds mostly hori- 

 zontal. (Chamgefistula.) 

 Leaflets 3 or 4 pairs, with glands between those of each pair, 



but none on the petiole below 2. C. lavigata. 



Leaflets 4' to 10 pairs, with a gland at the base of the petiole, 



but none between the leaflets 3, C. So^hera. 



Racemes short, loose, on long peduncles, forming a'largc 'ter- 

 mnial panicle. Leaflets 10 to 20 pairs, pubescent. Pod very 



flat (Chamaesenna) 4^ C. laxiflora. 



Racemes elongated, on long axillary peduncles: Bracts large* 

 deciduous. Pod very flat. (Chamseseuna.) 

 Glabrous, Leaflets 4 to 8 paii's, large, broad, very obtuse, 



reticulate. Stipules ovate. Bracts broad, obtuse . . . 5. C. magnifoha. 

 Pubescent. Leaflets 9 to 15 pairs, oblong or ovate, obtuse, 

 mncronate. Stipules ovate-cordate, acuminate, rigid. 



Bracts broad, obtuse &, C, venusta. 



Pubescent. Leaflets 9 to 15 pairs, ovate-lanceolate," acutej 



Tnucronate. Stipules narrow. Bracts acuminate . . . 7. <7. notahilis. 

 Glabrous. Leaflets 4 or 5 pairs, oblong-linear. Stipules 



small, subulate. Bracts broad, obtuse 8. C. pteurocarpa. 



Stamens 10, all with oblong-linear perfect anthers, aU equal or the 

 lower ones rather longer. (Psilorhegma-) 

 Glands between the leaflets (at least of the lowest pair), oblong, 

 subulate or stipitate, very rarely wanting. 

 Bracts acuminate. 



Glabrous or minutely pubescent. Leaflets 6 to 10 pairs, 

 obovate. Bracts lanceolate, often rather broad . . . . 9. C. sufruticosa. 



Softly pubesceut. Leaflets 4 to 6 pairs, obovate or cuneate, 

 mostly emargiuate. Bracts very narrow 10. C, reinsa- 



