STANDLEY — TBEES AND SHRUBS OF MEXICO. 411 



Puebla (type locality) and Oaxaca. 



Shrub or small tree; leaflets oval or obovate-oval, 1 to 3.5 cm. long, densely 

 pubescent on both surfaces ; flowers yellow, racemose ; fruit 15 cm. long, about 

 8 mm. wide. 



48. Cassia nicaraguensis Benth. Trans. Linn. Soc. Bot. 27: 552. 1871. 

 Cassia seleriana Harms, Bull. Herb. Boiss. 7: 551. 1899. 

 Guerrero to Oaxaca. Central America ; type from Nicaragua. 



Tree, 4 to 6 meters high, glabrous; stipules very large, semireniform, per- 

 sistent; leaflets numerous, oblong, 3 to 7 cm. long, obtuse or rounded at apex; 

 flowers yellow, in long racemes ; fruit 8 to 11 cm. long, nearly 1.5 cm. wide, 

 lustrous, the valves prominently mamillate over tlie seeds. " Candelita " (Costa 

 Rica); "sambran" (El Salvador). 



49. Cassia racemosa Mill. Gard. Diet. ed. 8. Cassia no. 19. 1768. 

 Yucatan. South America. 



Tree, 6 to IS meters high ; leaflets oblong to oval-elliptic, 3 to 6 cm. long ; 

 flowers large, orange or yellow, in short dense racemes; fruit about 6.5 cm. 

 long and 1 cm. wide, flat. 



50. Cassia liebmanni Benth. Trans. Linn. Soc. Bot. 27: 549. 1871. 

 Known only from the tyi^e locality, Santiago Estola. Oaxaca. 



51. Cassia reticulata Willd. Enum. PI. 443. 1S09. 



Chiapas ; reported from Yucatan and Tabasco. Central America and South 

 America. 



Tree, 3.5 to 8 meters high ; leaflets oblong to obovate, rounded at apex ; 

 flowers large, yellow, in long racemes; fruit very flat, 12 to 18 cm. long, 1.3 

 to 2 cm. wide, the valves thin. " Sambran," " sambran de rfo " (El Salvador) ; 

 " saragundin " (Costa Rica); " sorocontil " (Nicaragua); " tarantAn " (Vene- 

 zuela ) . 



2. TAMABINDUS L. Sp. PI. 34. 1753. 

 1. Tamarindus indicus L. Sp. PI. 34. 1753. 



Widely cultivated in Mexico, as well as elsewhere in tropical America, and 

 often growing without cultivation. Native of the tropics of the Old World. 



Large unarmed tree, sometimes 15 meters high or more, with widely spread- 

 ing crown, the bark brown; leaves pinnate, the leaflets numerous, oblong, 1 

 to 2 cm. long ; flowers large, yellow, striped with red, racemose ; fruit large, 

 brown, rough, thick, indehiscent, the 4 to 7 brown seeds surrounded by a juicy 

 red pulp; wood fine-grained, dirty white or yellowish, its specific gravity 

 said to be about 0.94. Known genei-ally as " tamarindo ; " the name " huaje " or 

 " hoaxin " is said to be used in some localities. 



The tamarind was introduced into Mexico soon after the Conquest, and is 

 now a common tree in many regions. The wood is of some local importance. 

 It is valuable for building purposes and furnishes excellent charcoal for the 

 manufacture of gunpowder. In India the leaves are used to give a yellow 

 dye and the seeds, young leaves^ and flowers are eaten. The fruit is the most 

 important product of the tree, the juicy, acidulous pulp being eaten and em- 

 ployed generally in tropical America in the preparation of cooling beverages. 

 It is made also into various kinds of sweetmeats. In some parts of tropical 

 America a fermented drink is made from the pulp. 



In India the fruit is much used for flavoring curries, and the seeds are 

 often cooked and eaten. The young seedlings also are boiled as a vegetable, 

 likewise the leaves and flowers. 



The pulp of the fruit is official in the U. S. Pharmacopoeia. It contains 

 sugar and acetic, tartaric, and citric acids. Its fluid extract is laxative and 



