274 xlvii. § cjesalpinie^e (oliver). [Cassia. 



silky. Immature legume "cylindrical, slightly compressed, obtuse, 

 pubescent." 

 Mozamb. Distr. Lupata, Zambesi, Dr. Kirk! Tette and Senna, Br. Peters. 



9. C. occidentalis, Linn.; DC. Prod. ii. 497. Stem firmly herba- 

 ceous or woody below, annual or of 2—3 years' duration (Dr. Welwitsch), 

 erect, often forming- dense bushy masses, a few feet in height, glabrous 

 or nearly so. Leaflets membranous, in 4—5 pairs, ovate- or elliptic- 

 lanceolate, usually acute or acuminate, glabrous minutely ciliolate or 

 obsoletely pubescent beneath, 1 J-2J in. long, the upper varying to 

 3-4 in. ; common petiole without interpetiolular glands, but with a 

 short obtuse gland near the base, black when dry. Stipules lanceolate 

 or ovate-lanceolate, membranous, deciduous. Flowers in short few- 

 flowered axillary racemes or fascicles, the peduncle and pedicels seldom 

 exceeding 1 in., or towards the ends of the branches the fascicles con- 

 fluent forming an interrupted terminal raceme ; the leaves reduced 

 or bract-like. Bracts thin, linear-lanceolate or oblong acuminate, 

 deciduous. Sepals obtuse, glabrous or nearly so, the outer rather 

 shorter. Petals obtuse, venose. Two anterior stamens larger, with 

 slightly curved anthers J in. long, shortly and broadly produced at the 

 apex. Legume 2-valved, linear compressed, slightly falcate or straight, 

 apiculate, rather coriaceous, margined with straight sutures ; 3^-5 in. 

 long, 3-4 lines broad; the pericarp when dry usually depressed between 

 the seeds, which are usually but not always flattened in the same plane 

 as the pod. Cotyledons plane or nearly so, in the larger diameter of 

 the seeds, enclosed between thick layers of albumen. — C. planisiliqua, 

 Linn. ex. Bot. Reg. t. 83. 



Growing in damp and watery places. Widely diffused in Tropical Africa, as indeed 

 throughout the Tropics generally, both of the Old and New World. Dr. E. Vogel 

 describes it as forming dense islets in the Yeau river in North Central Africa. 



Cassia contorta, Vog., cited as a synonym in " Flora Nigrit." 324, proves to be 

 C. Tora, L. 



10.* C. Sophera, Linn. Sp. PI. 542 ; Benth. Fl. Austr. ii. 283. Erect, 

 shrubby, glabrous or nearly so, attaining 3—5 ft. in height. Leaves 

 inflorescence and flowers similar to those of C. occidentalis ; the leaf- 

 lets usually more numerous, varying from 5-9 pairs, often obliquely 

 lanceolate and finely acuminate. Petiole with a small basal gland. 

 Legume 2-valved, thinly coriaceous or chartaceous, turgid or subterete, 

 from 2J-5 in. long, 3-5 lines in diameter. Seeds very numerous 

 and closely packed. Embryo as in C. occidentalis. — For synonymy 

 see Fl. Australiensis, I.e. 



Upper Guinea. Fernando Po, in cultivated ground, and Cape Coast, T. Vogel! 

 Fernando Po, Mann! 



An Indian plant, extending to Australia. Mr. Bentham (1. c.) speaks of this species 

 as common in Tropical Africa, but I have only seen it from the localities cited, and 

 there it would appear to be doubtfully indigenous. 



C. tomentosa, L. f. A yellow- or tawny-tomentose shrub, with oblong-oval leaflets 

 f-l£ in. long in 6-8 pairs, and short few-flowered corymbs from the upper axils, forming 

 collectively a lax leafy panicle, occurs at the Cape, and is widely diffused through the 



