M,\III. l.l:(.lMl.NOf<.Ti. 417 



(')."). CASSIA, Linn. 



Trees, shrubs, or lierbs. Leaves abruptly-pinnate ; rhachis often 

 furnished with ghuuls either between the leaflets or on the petiole below 

 thera ; stipules various. Flowers usually yellow, in axillary or terminal 

 racemes or in tern)inal panicles, or subsolitary axillary ; bracts and 

 bracteoles varions. Calyx deeply divided ; tube very short ; segments 5, 

 imbricate. Petals 5, imbricate, subequal or the lower the largest. 

 Stamens normally 10, all perfect and subequal or the upper the smaller, 

 or 3-5 imperfect or altogether absent; anthers uniform or those of the 

 lower stamens the larger, dehiscing by terminal pores or by a short slit. 

 Ovary sessile or stalked, free, at the bottom of the calyx ; ovules many ; 

 style short or elongate ; stigma terminal. Pod variable, terete or fiat, 

 usually septate between the seeds, dehiscent or indehiscent. Seeds 

 transverse (rarely longitudinal), horizontally or vertically compressed, 

 albuminous. — Disthib. Throughout the Tropics ; a few extra-tropical ; 

 species 340. 



Tod 1-2 ft. long, terete 1. C. Fistula. 



Pod less than 1 It. long, more or less flattened. 



Fertile stamens 7 (sometimes 7-10 in C. nigricans), 

 tlie others reduced to staminodes. 

 Gland of the leaf-rhaehis solitary, inserted be- 

 neath (not between) the leaflets. 



Leaflels 3-5 pairs 2. C. occidental is. 



L^'aflets (i-]() pairs ; gland conspicuous, conical . o. C. Sopkera. 

 Leaflets 8-18 pairs ; gland obscure, flat, sessile... 4. C. nigrica7is {in lYdri). 

 Glands inserted between 1 or more pairs of leaflets. 

 Leaflets 3 pairs. 



Gland between each of the 2 lowest pairs of 



liaflets ; plant fetid 5. C. Tora. 



Gland between the lowest pair of leaflets 



only ; plant not fetid 6. C. ohtusifolia. 



Leaflets 8-12 pairs 7. C. auriculata. 



Glands of the leaf-rhachis 0. 

 Pod not above 2 in. long. 



Pod with a longitudinal crest down the middle 



over the seeds 8. C. ohtusa. 



Pod not crested over the seeds 9. C. holosericea. 



Pod 3-6 in. long. 



Stipules minute, caducous 10. C. monfana. 



Stipules large, foliaceous, subpersistent 11. C. timorieims. 



Fertile stamens 5 ; staminodes 0. 



Leaflets 2 pairs 12. C. Absiin. 



Leaflets 10-20 pairs 13. C. puinila. 



Fertile stamens 10 (1-3 sometimes reduced to stami- 

 nodes in C. vigricans). 

 Gland solitary, inserted beneath the leaflets, stalked, 



peltate ;" leaflets 8-20 pairs 14. C. KUiitii. 



Gland inserted between each of the 2-3 lowest pairs 



ol' leaflets ; leaflets 4-6 pairs 15. C. glutica. 



Gland solitary, inserted beneath the leaflets, flat, 

 ses^ile. 



Leaflets 40-60 pairs 16. C. mimosoiiles. . 



Leaflets 8-18 pairs 4. C. nigricans {m \}-ayI). 



1. Cassia Fistula, Linn. Sp. PI. (1753) p. 377. A tree 20-30 ft. 

 high; trunk .^traight : bark smooth and pale-grey when young, rough 

 and dark-brow n when old ; branches spreading, slender. Leaves 9-lG in. 

 long ; main rhachis pubescent ; stipides uii)iute. linear-oblong, obtuse, 



