CASSIACEAE. 83 



globose or cylindrie. Calyx-lobes shorter than the tube. Petals distinct or 

 partially united. Filaments distinct or nearly so. Ovary short-stipitate. Pod 

 oblique. 



1. N. floridana Small. Stem and branches sparingly pubescent or glabrate: 

 leaflets 3-4 mm. long; blades linear to linear-lanceolate: calyx-lobes triangu- 

 lar-lanceolate, acuminate: petals acuminate: pods 2.5-3.5 cm. long. Pine- 

 lands. F. K. (Cuba.) 



FAMILY 4. CASSIACEAE. SEXKA FAMILY. 



Trees, shrubs, or herbs. Leaves alternate: blades compound, usually 

 1-2-pinnate, rarely 1-foliolate. Flowers perfect, polygamous, monoecious, 

 or dioecious, more or less irregular. Calyx of 35, usually slightly united 

 sepals, sometimes borne on the edge of a well-developed hypanthium. 

 Corolla of 3-5 unequal distinct petals. Androecium of 6-10 distinct or 

 nearly distinct stamens. Gynoecium 1-carpellary. Fruit a legume. 



Sepals, and petals, usually 5 : stamens 5-10. 

 Leaves with 1-pinnate blades. 



Pods Indehlscent or tardily dehiscent : corolla nearly regular, the five petals 



slightly unequal : calyx-lobes obtuse. 1. CASSIA. 



Pods elastically dehiscent : corolla very irregular, one of 

 the lateral petals (standard) and the lowest petal large, 

 the others greatly reduced : calyx-lobes acuminate. 2. CHAMAECRISTA. 



Leaves with 2-plnnate blades. 



Pods long, smooth : petals with suborblcular or renlform 



blades. 3. POINCIANA. 



Pods short, prickle-armed : petals with cuneate or spatu- 



late blades. 4. GUIIANDINA. 



Sepals 4 : petals 3, often accompanied by 2 rudiments : stamens 3. 5. TAMABINDTJS. 



1. CASSIA [Tourn.] L. Herbs, shrubs, or trees. Leaves abruptly 1-pin- 

 nate: stipules deciduous. Flowers in axillary racemes or panicles. Sepals 

 nearly distinct, leathery or petaloid. Petals mainly yellow or whitish. Pod 

 more or less turgid, indehiscent or tardily dehiscent. SEXXA. 



Plants herbaceous. 



Petiolar gland near the base of the rachls : blades of the leaflets not obovate. 

 Petiolar gland globular, sessile : pods broad-margined. 1. C. occidental^. 



Petiolar gland elongate, stipitate : pods narrow-margined. 2. C. UgusMna. 



r gland between the lower pair of leaflets : blade 

 the leaflets obovate or cuneate. 3. 0. Tora. 



Petiolar gland between the lower pair of leaflets : blades of 



the leaflets obovate or cuneate. 

 Plants woody. 4. C. bahamensis. 



1. C. occidentalis L. Plant annual, 5-15 dm. tall, nearly glabrous: leaflets 

 8-12; blades lanceolate, becoming lanceolate-elliptic, somewhat acuminate, 

 3.6-5 cm. long; petiolar gland globular, near the base of the rachis: stipules 

 broadly lanceolate: sepals 11-14 mm. long: petals 15-19 mm. long: pods 

 linear, glabrous, with the septa externally prominent, 8-13 cm. long, 6 mm. 

 wide. Pinelands and cultivated grounds. Nat. of Trop. Am. F. K. (Ber., 

 Bah., Cuba, Ant.) 



2. C. ligustrina L. Plant perennial, 6-20 dm. tall, nearly glabrous: leaflets 

 12-16; blades lanceolate to elliptic-lanceolate, 4-4.2 cm. long; petiolar gland 

 at the base of rachis, elongate, stipitate : stipules linear-lanceolate : sepals 9-12 

 mm. long, the larger ones obovate: petals 13-16 mm. long, nearly uniform in 

 shape: pods curved, flat, prominently margined, 7-8 mm. wide. Hammocks. 

 (Ber., Bah.. Cuba, Ant.) 



3. C. Tora L. Plant annual, 4-15 dm. tall, nearly glabrous: leaflets 4-6; 

 blades obovate or cuneate-obovate. very slightly cuspidate, the terminal pair 

 much the largest, 3-5 cm. long: petiolar gland elongate, between the lower 

 pairs of leaflets: stipules linear-spatulate to setaceous: sepals 7-9 mm. long, 



