256 



CASSABANANA 



CASSABANANA. See Sicana. 

 CASSANDKA. See Chamcedaphne. 

 CASSAVA. Consult Manihot utilissima. 



CASSEBEERA (from a German botanist). Polypo- 

 diacece. A small genus of small Brazilian ferns allied 

 to the maidenhair, but rarely seen in cultivation. 



CASSIA (ancient Greek name). Leguminosce. SENNA. 

 Several hundred herbs, shrubs or trees in many parts 

 of the world, of which a very few are in cult, in Amer., 

 mostly as border plants. Lvs. even-pinnate: fls. nearly 

 regular (not papilionaceous), with the nearly equal 

 calyx-teeth mostly longer than the tube ; corolla of 5 

 spreading, nearly equal clawed petals; stamens 5 or 10, 

 frequently unequal, and some of the anthers abortive : 

 fr. a stalked pod which is either flat or terete, contain- 

 ing numerous seeds. The Cassias delight in a sunny 

 exposure. Most of those which are cultivated here are 

 herbs or herb-like shrubs, attractive for the finely cut 

 foliage and the showy fls. Some of them are cultivated 

 only in the extreme south. Prop, mostly by divisions 

 and seeds, the annual species always by seeds. 



Senna leaves, used in medicine as a cathartic, are de- 

 rived from various species, chiefly from C. acutifolia of 

 Egypt, and C. angustifolia of India and other Old 

 World tropics. The "Cassia lignea" of drug stores is 

 made from a Cinnamomum. 



A. Hardy border plants : leaflets 6 or more pairs. 



Marylandica, Linn. WILD SENNA. Perennial, glabrous 

 or nearly so, stems nearly simple : Ifts. 6-10 pairs, ob- 

 long or lance-oblong and entire, short-acuminate or 

 nearly obtuse: fls. in axillary racemes near the tops of 

 the stems and often appearing as if panicled, bright 

 yellow, wide open. New Eng. to Mich, and south, 

 mostly in wet soil. Grows 3-4 ft. high, and has attrac- 

 tive light green foliage. 



Chamaecrista, Linn. PARTRIDGE PEA. Annual, erect 

 or spreading, 2 ft. or less high: Ifts. 10-15 pairs, small, 

 narrow-oblong, mucronate, sensitive to the touch : fls. 

 large, 2-5 together in the axils, canary-yellow and 2 

 of the petals purple-spotted. Dry soil, Maine S. and W. 



AA. Tender plants, grown far south, or under glass: 

 Ifts. mostly fewer. 



B. Tree, with very long, woody, indehiscent pods. 

 Fistula, Linn. PUDDING PIPE TREE. Lvs. large, the 



Ifts. 4-6 pairs, and ovate-acuminate : fls. in long lax ra- 

 cemes, yellow : pods cylindrical, black, 3-furrowed, 1-2 

 ft. long, containing 1-seeded compartments. India, but 

 introduced in W. Ind. and other tropical countries. 

 Sparingly cult, in S. Fla. Furnishes the Cassia pods 

 of commerce. 



BB. Shrubs or herbs, with shorter and more or less 

 dehiscent pods. 



Sophera, Linn. ( C. schinifolia, DC. ) . Shrub, 6-10 ft. : 

 Ifts. 6-10 pairs, lanceolate-acute : fls. yellow on many- 

 fld. axillary and terminal peduncles, which are shorter 

 than the Ivs. : pod thin, tardily dehiscent. Oriental 

 tropics. Int. in S. Calif. 



tomentdsa, Linn, f . Shrub, 4-8 ft. : Ifts. 6-8 pairs, 

 oval-oblong and obtuse, white-tomentose beneath : fls. 

 yellow. Mex.-^Said to be a good winter bloomer in S. 

 Calif. 



corymbosa, Lam. Shrub, half-hardy in middle states, 

 4-10 ft.: Ifts. 3 pairs, oblong-lanceolate and somewhat 

 falcate, obtuse or nearly so: fls. yellow, in long-stalked, 

 small axillary and terminal corymbs. Argentina. B.M. 

 633. Gn. 50, p. 139. The best known stove species. 



artemesioides, Gaud. Tree-like shrub, soft-canescent 

 and gray all over : Ifts. 3-4 pairs, very narrow-linear : 

 racemes axillary, 5-8-fld., the fls. deep yellow. Austral. 

 Int. in S. Calif. Withstands drought. 



bifldra, Linn. Shrub, 4-8 ft.: Ifts. 6-8 pairs, broad- 

 oblong, very obtuse : fls. lerge, yellow, on 2-4-fld. pe- 

 duncles, which are shorter than the Ivs. S. Amer. B.M. 

 810. Sparingly cult, in greenhouses. 



C. Schrdderii, "yellow, dark spotted fls. in racemes, 2-3 ft.," 

 is offered, but its systematic position is doubtful. L t fj B. 



CASTANEA 



CASSlOPE (Greek mythological name), firicacece. 

 Low, procumbent, evergreen, heath-like shrubs : Ivs. 

 small, usually imbricated and opposite : tts. solitary, 

 nodding ; corolla campanulate, 5-lobed ; stamens 10, 

 included : fr. capsular. Ten species in arctic regions 

 and high mountains of N. Amer., N. Eu., N. Asia and 

 Himal. Graceful, delicate plants, adapted for rockeries, 

 flowering in summer. They are of somewhat difficult 

 culture, and require peaty and sandy, moist but well- 

 drained soil and partly shaded situation, though C. hyp- 

 noides grows best in full sun, creeping amongst grow- 

 ing moss. Drought, as well as dry and hot air, is fatal 

 to them. Prop, readily by cuttings from- mature wood 

 in August under glass ; also by layers, and by seeds 

 treated like those of Erica. Formerly included under 

 Andromeda. 



C. fastigidta, Don. Ascending: Ivs. imbricate, in4rows, with 

 white fringed margin : fls. axillary, white. Himal. B.M. 4796. 

 C. hypnoldes, Don. Creeping : Ivs. linear, loosely imbricate: 

 fls. terminal, deeply 5-cleft. Arctic regions. B.M. 2936. L.B.C. 

 20:1946. C.Mertensidna, Don. Erector ascending to 1ft. high: 

 Ivs. imbricate, in 4 rows, carinate on the back : fls. axillaryi 

 white or slightly tinged rosy. Sitka to Calif. C. tetrdgona, 

 Don. Similar to the former, but lower, and the Ivs. with a 

 deep furrow on the back. Arctic regions. B.M. 3181. 



ALFRED REHDER. 



CASTANEA (ancient Latin name). Cupullferce (or 

 Fagacece). CHESTNUT. Deciduous 

 trees or shrubs, with alternate 

 serrate Ivs.: fls. monoecious, the 

 staminate ones with 6-parted 

 calyx and 10-20 stamens, in long, 

 erect, cylindrical catkins ; the 

 pistillate ones on the lower part 

 of the upper catkins, usu- 

 ally 3 together in a prickly 

 involucre : f r. a large brown 

 nut, 1-7 together in a prickly 

 involucre or bur. Five spe- 

 cies in the temperate re- 



380. Castanea Americana. 



381. Castanea sativa. 



