NATAL SPECIES OF CASSIA. 343 



five, yellow; stamens 10, 7 fertile, two long, one medium, four 

 short; 3 staminoids; ovary woolly, legume linear, acute, com- 

 pressed, villosa-tomentose, 10 cm. to 12 cm. long, many-seeded. 



Introduced from tropical America. Not such a handsome 

 shrub as C . laevigata or C. bicapsularis, as the clusters of flowers 

 are not so large. Flowers during the autumn months. 



(2) Cassia Delagoensis, Harv. 



An erect shrub, thinly pubescent. Leaflets 6 to 5 pairs, 

 petioles short, a slender filiform gland, 0.3 cm. to 0.4 cm. long 

 between each pair of leaflets; leaflets lanceolate, acuminate, under 

 surface paler than upper surface, 2 cm. to 6 cm. long, 0.8 cm. 

 to 2.2 cm. wide, stipules reniform, with one lobe tailed, decidu- 

 ous; racemes axillary, pedunculate, many flowered and forming 

 a terminal corymbose panicle; sepals two, small, softly hairy; 

 petals five, unequal, veined, orange yellow; stamens 10, three 

 long, incurved, 0.7 cm. to 0.9 cm. long, four 0.4 cm. to 0.5 cm. 

 long, three short and broad staminoids; anthers opening by apical 

 pores; ovary 1.3 cm. to 1.5 cm. long, slightly incurved, soft 

 silky pubescence slender, multi-ovulate. 



A native of tropical Africa and Australia. 



(3) Cassia laevigata, Willd. 



An erect glabrous shrub, 4 feet to 6 feet high. Leaflets 3 

 to 4 pairs, ovate to lanceolate, usually acuminate, 3.5 cm. to 

 7.5 cm. long, with an oblong or slender gland between each pair; 

 racemes axillary, pedunculate, short and almost corymbose, the 

 upper ones forming a short terminal panicle, sepals unequal, the 

 inner ones 0.6 cm. to 0.8 cm. long; petals broad, very obtuse, 

 varying from 0.7 cm. to 1.9 cm.; perfect anthers 4, almost 

 sessile, one on a short, and two on much longer filaments; legume 

 5 cm. to 7.5 cm. long, membranous or slightly coriaceous, cylin- 

 drical or more or less inflated when ripe, opening at length into 

 two valves; seeds crowded and horizontal, or upper ones less 

 crowded and almost vertical. 



A cosmopolitan tropical plant. A very handsome shrub when 

 in full bloom. 



(4) Cassia occidentalis, Linn. 



A nearly glabrous shrub, 3 feet to 4 feet high, with a reddish- 

 brown tinge on stems, petioles and legumes. Leaflets 3 to 4 

 pairs, ovate-lanceolate, 2.5 cm. to 7.5 cm. long, 1.5 cm. to 2.5 

 cm. wide, glabrous, petiole with a short obtuse gland at base, 

 gland deep red; stipules deciduous, membranous, lanceolate or 

 ovate-lanceolate ; inflorescence few flowered ; sepals glabrous, with 

 a reddish tinge, unequal; petals unequal, yellow; stamens, 7 

 fertile, unequal, 3 staminoids; ovary softly pubescent, not woolly; 

 legume 10 cm. to 15 cm. long, linear, elongate, reddish-brown 

 with thick green margins, glabrescent, piano-compressed. 



A cosmopolitan tropical plant. It is usually an annual, but 

 it is stated by Dr. Welwitsch to be also of two to three years 

 duration. The whole plant has a rather disagreeable smell. 



