104 Leguminosce. \Cassia. 



3 uppermost ones much smaller, erect, with indehiscent abortive 

 anth. ; pod 1-2 ft., pendulous, shortly stalked, cylindrical 

 f-i in. diam., nearly straight, hard, smooth, shining, purplish- 

 black, not torulose, indehiscent, with very numerous, 25-100, 

 horizontal seeds immersed in dark-coloured pulp and com- 

 pletely separated by thin transverse partitions ; seed small, 

 I in., ovoid, slightly compressed, with a raised raphe down 

 whole of one side, hard, smooth, shining, pale orange-brown, 

 cotyledons flat, foliaceous, endosperm abundant, hard and 

 horny. 



Forests of the dry region ; very common. Fl. July-August ; pale 

 yellow. 



Also in India, China, and Malaya. 



A conspicuous tree in the dry country whether covered with its droop- 

 ing racemes of bright flowers or its pendulous black cylindrical pods. 



The flowers are used in temple ceremonies ; the astringent bark for 

 tanning and as a medicine ; and the pulp of the fruit is a well-known 

 purgative. Heart-wood very hard and heavy, dark red, durable, but of 

 no great size. 



2. C. marginata, Roxb. Hort. Beng. 31 (1814). Ratu-wa, S. 

 Vakai, T. 



Cathartocarftus rosea, Moon Cat. 34. C. Roxburghii, DC, Thw. 

 Enum. 95, C. P. 1505. 



Fl. B. Ind. ii. 262. Wight, 111. t. 83 (C. Roxburghii), copied in Bedd. 

 Fl. Sylv. t. 80. 



A small tree, with slender drooping branches, bark brown, 

 deeply cracked longitudinally, young parts densely pubescent 

 or tomentose ; l.-rachis 6-10 in., slender, furrowed above, pubes- 

 cent, stip. large, falcate, pubescent ; quickly deciduous, lfits. 

 20-30 (10-15 pair), shortly stalked, \-\\ in., oblong, obtuse, 

 emarginate and apiculate at apex, unequal at base, glabrous 

 above, pubescent beneath ; fl. about f in., on pubescent ped. 

 § in. long, in close pedunculate supra-axillary racemes much 

 shorter than 1., bracts ovate, cuspidate, soon falling ; cal. densely 

 ilky, segm. subacute; two lower pet. larger than others; 3 

 owest stam. with long doubly curved exserted fil. and large 

 anth., other 7 very much shorter with smaller anth. all fertile; 

 pod 8-12 in., cylindrical, straight, about f in. diam., semi- 

 woody, somewhat torulose, with very numerous seeds separated 

 by partitions, glabrous, black ; seed about \ in. compressed, 

 pale brown, with abundant endosperm. 



Dry region; very common. Fl. July, August; pink or salmon- 

 coloured. 



Also in Southern India. 



Very ornamental when covered with its abundantly produced flowers. 

 Heart-wood heavy, very hard, reddish brown, small. 



