Cassia. LEGUMINOS^. ^ 189 



Tribe IX. GASSIER. Bronn. 



Corolla irregular, or sometimes nearly regular, never truly papilionaceous. Stamens 10, 

 or sometimes fewer, distinct : anthers mostly of two forms. Legume continuous {not 

 jointed), l-celled, or spuriously many-celled by transverse partitions between the seeds. 

 Embryo straight, frequently with a small quantity of albumen. — Trees, shrubs or herbs. 

 Leaves pinnate or bipinnate, not stipellate. 



24. CASSIA. Linn.; Vogel, syn. gen. Cass. (1837) ; Endl. gen. 6781. CASSIA. 



[ "According to Olaus Celsus, this name k to be traced to the Hebrew, ketzioth, rendered by kasian in the Septuagint, 



and latinized by cassia." Loudon.] 



Sepals slightly united at the base, usually unequal, deciduous. Petals 5, unequal. Stamens 

 10 (the 5 alternate ones rarely wanting), unequal or rarely equal; the 3 upper (posterior) 

 comnoonly abortive : anthers opening at the summit, or sometimes by a pore at the base. 

 Legume terete or compressed, one-celled, or many-celled by transverse partitions which 

 are sometimes filled with pulp. Seeds with a small quantity of albumen. — Trees, shrubs 

 or (as in all the North American species) herbaceous plants, with simple, abruptly pinnated 

 leaves. Flowers mostly yellow. 



^1. CiiAHfSENNA, DC. Anthers of the lower stamens fertile, thick; the Z upper sterile arid 



deformed. 



1. Cassia Marilandica, Linn. American or Wild Senna. 



Perennial, erect; leaflets 12-18, lanceolate-oblong, mucronate ; gland near the base of 

 the petiole clavate ; racemes axillary, and somewhat paniculate at the summit of the branches, 

 many-flowered ; legumes linear, somewhat curved, at first hairy, finally smooth. — Michx. 

 fl. 1. p. 261 ; Pursh, fl. 1. p. 306 ; "ScM. handb. 1. t. 113;" Ell. sk. 1. p. 473; Bigel. 

 med. bot. t.39, and fl. Bost. p. 171 ; Bart. veg. mat. med. t. 12 ; DC. prodr. 2. p. 498 ; 

 T(»-r. f.l.p. 439 ; Beck, bot. p. 94 ; Darlingt. fl,. Cest. p. 433 ; Torr. (^ Gr. fl. N. Am. 

 1. p. 395. Senna foliis Mimosa, &c. Dill. Elth. t. 260./. 339. 



Stem 3-4 feet high, smooth or somewhat pubescent. Leaflets 1 - Ij inch long and 4-6 

 lines wide, abruptly pinnate, conspicuously mucronate, slightly ciliate : petiole with a small 

 green stipitate gland near the base. Stipules and bracts subulate, hairy, striate, persistent. 

 Racemes one or two inches long, in the axils of the upper leaves, and also clustered at the 

 summit of the stem. Sepals nearly half as long as the corolla, obtuse, greenish-yellow. 

 Corolla yellow, often whitish when old : petals obovate-cuneate ; the 3 upper ones erect ; the 

 2 lower longer, deflected. Stamens unequal ; the 3 upper ones flattened and sterile ; the 3 

 lowest longest, with broad filaments and large incurved anthers ; all ihe anthers dark purplish 

 brown. Ovary villous, declined : style incurved. Legume about 4 inches long, flattened. 

 Seeds 9 - 15 or more, compressed, separated by transverse partitions. 



Banks of rivers ; common. Fl. July - August. Fr. September - October. This plant 



