336 



CAESALPINIACEAE. 



Vol. II. 



2. Cassia marilandica L. Wild or American 

 Senna. Fig. 2438. 



Cassia marilandica L. Sp. PI. 378. 1753. 



Perennial, glabrous or pubescent with a few scat- 

 tered hairs, 3°-8° high, little branched. Stipules 

 subulate-linear, caducous; leaves petioled, the club- 

 shaped gland borne near the base of the petiole; 

 leaflets 12-20, oblong or lanceolate-oblong, obtuse or 

 obtusish, mucronate, rounded at the base, ciliate, 

 i'-2' long, 3"-6" wide ; flowers 7"-g" broad, numer- 

 ous in pubescent axillary racemes on the upper part 

 of the plant; calyx-lobes ovate or oblong, obtuse; 

 stamens 10, the upper 3 imperfect; pod linear, flat, 

 pubescent or becoming glabrous, 2-4' lo"&) 3" wide, 

 curved, its segments as long as broad or slightly 

 longer; seeds flat, suborbicular. 



In swamps and wet soil, Massachusetts to North Caro- 

 lina, Ohio and Tennessee. July-Aug. 



3. Cassia Medsgeri Shafer. Medsger's Wild 

 Senna. Fig. 2439, 



Cassia Medsgeri Shafer, Torreya 4 : 179. 1904. 



Biennial ( ?) or perennial, similar to C. marilandica, 

 glabrous or very nearly so throughout. Stipules linear- 

 lanceolate ; petiolar gland cylindric to conic; leaflets 

 8-16, oblong to elliptic, mucronate, glabrous, slightly 

 glaucous beneath, 2' long or less ; inflorescence glabrous 

 or nearly so ; pod curved, linear, little compressed, 4' 

 long or less, tardily dehiscent, its segments much 

 shorter than broad; seeds obovoid, 2" long, i" thick. 



In dry gravelly soil, Pennsylvania to Georgia, Iowa, Kan- 

 sas and Texas. July-Sept. 



4. Cassia occidentalis L. Coffee Senna. Styptic-weed. Fig. 2440. 



Cassia occidentalis L. Sp. PI. 



377- 1753- 



Annual, glabrous, much branched, erect, 4°-6° 

 high. Stipules caducous ; gland short, borne near 

 the base of the petiole; leaflets 8-12, ovate or ovate- 

 lanceolate, acute or acuminate at the apex, rounded 

 at the base, i'-2' long, 4"-9" wide; flowers 7"-9" 

 broad, in short axillary racemes ; stamens 10, the 

 upper 3 imperfect; calyx-lobes oblong, obtuse; pod 

 linear, glabrous, 4'-6' long, about 3" wide, some- 

 what curved, its margins thickened. 



In waste places, Virginia to Indiana, Kansas, Florida 

 and Mexico, and throughout tropical America, extend- 

 ing to Chili and Uruguay. Also in the warmer parts of 

 the Old World. In our area adventive from the South. 

 Coffee-weed. The seeds are known as negro or magdad 

 coffee. July-Aug. 



