334 CONTRIBUTIONS FEOM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 



2. POINCIANA L. Bird-of-paradise flower. 



1. Poinciana gilliesii Hook. Bot. Misc. Hook. 1: 129. pi. 34. 1830. 



Caesalpinia gilliesii Wall. Bot. Misc. Hook. 1: 129. 1830. 



Type locality: "Prope Rio Quarto et Rio Quinto, et apud La Punta de San Luis. 

 Abundat circa Mendozarn, Americae Meridionalis." 



An ill-smelling, erect, sparingly branched shrub with green stems 2 to 3 meters 

 high; leaves large, bipinnate, with very numerous small leaflets; inflorescence of 

 terminal racemes of large yellow flowers with long-exserted, bright red stamens and 

 pistil. It is one of the commonest ornamental plants in gardens, especially in the 

 southern part of the State and is frequently escaped. 



3. CASSIA L. Senna. 



Shrubs or herbaceous perennials with abruptly pinnate leaves and rather large 

 yellow flowers; calyx lobes 5, obtuse; petals 5, nearly equal; slamens 10, the upper 3 

 abortive, the anthers opening by terminal pores; pods slightly compressed, elongated, 

 several-seeded. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



Shrub with leaflets 5 mm. long or less 1 . C. wislizeni. 



Herbs with leaflets 20 mm. long or more. 

 Leaves 2-foliolate. 



Leaflets lanceolate, 30 to 50 mm. long, bright green 4. C. roemeriana. 



Leaflets oblong, 25 mm. long or less, grayish 5. C. bauhinioides. 



Leaves 6 to many-foliolate. 



Plants glabrous; leaflets lanceolate, acute 2. C, leptocarpa. 



Plants pubescent throughout; leaflets oblong, obtuse. 

 Leaflets more than 3 pairs, oblong to ovate; pubes- 

 cence coarse, spreading; pods 5 cm. long or 



more, obtuse 3 . C. lindheimeriana. 



Leaflets 2 or 3 pairs, mostly oblong-obovate ; pubes- 

 cence fine and close; pods 3 cm. long or less, 

 acute 0. C. covesii. 



1. Cassia wislizeni A. Gray, PI. Wright. 1: 60. 1852. 



Type locality: "Carrizal and Ojo Caliente, south of El Paso," Chihuahua. 

 Range: New Mexico and Arizona to Mexico. 



New Mexico: Southern Grant and Luna counties. Dry hillsides and plains, in 

 the Lower and Upper Sonoran zones. 



2. Cassia leptocarpa Benth. Linnaea 22: 528. 1849. 



Type locality: "Ad Zapativa legit Pohl et prope Rio Janeiro." 

 Range: Texas to Arizona, south into Mexico and South America. 

 Xew Mexico: Near White Water (Mearns 343). 



3. Cassia lindheimeriana Scheele, Linnaea 21: 457. 1848. 

 Type locality: New Braunfels, Texas. 



Range: Western Texas to Arizona. 



New Mexico: Florida Mountains; Organ Mountains; Guadalupe Mountains. Dry 

 rocky hills, in the Upper Sonoran Zone. 



4. Cassia roemeriana Scheele, Linnaea 21: 457. 1848. 



Type locality: "Auf felsigem Boden am obern Guadeloupe," western Texas. 

 Range: Western Texas and southern New Mexico to Mexico. 

 Xew Mexico: Hurrah Creek; Tierra Blanca; Ruidoso Creek; Roswell; Knowles; 

 Queen ; Lincoln ; Causey. Lower and Upper Sonoran zones. 



