SECT. II 



PHANEROGAMIA 



559 



The Caesalpiniaceae are shrubs or trees, and, unlike the Papilionaceae, often have 

 bipinnate leaves. The flowers may be large or small. Their corolla is variously 

 constructed, sometimes actinomorphic (e.g. Cassia, the zygomorphic character of 

 whose flowers is due to the androecium), sometimes strongly zygomorphic (Tam- 

 arindus), but very rarely somewhat papilionaceous (Cercis Siliquastrum). The 

 members of this family, whose largest genus is Cassia, are almost exclusively 

 tropical. The coloured heart-wood of many species gives them a great technical 

 value (Logwood from Saematoxylon campechianum, Pernambuco or Brazil "Wood 

 from Caesalpinia brasiliensis). The Judas-tree (Cercis Siliquastrum) from Southern 

 Europe (with flowers springing directly from the stem), and the Honey Locust 

 (Gleditschia triacanthos) from North America, are often cultivated in parks and 

 gardens. 



Officinal. — Folia Sennae, the leaflets of Cassia aeutifolia (F. S. Alex- 

 andmnae, from tropical East and Central Africa) and of Cassia angustifolia (from 



Fig. 636.— Lotus corniculatus. 1, Flowering branch ; 2, a flower ; 3, androecium and gyncecium ; 

 i, carpel ; 5, fruit ; 6, corolla ; a, standard ; 6, wings ; c, keel ; 7, floral diagram. (After 

 Wossidlo.) 



tropical East Africa and Arabia ; Tinnevelly Senna, from plants of the same 

 species cultivated in Southern India). The officinal species of Cassia are shrubs 

 with yellow-flowered racemes (Fig. 534). The balsam -canals in the wood of 

 Oopaifera guianensis and C. officinalis (trees of tropical America) contain Balsa- 

 mum oopaivae. Rhatany Root, Rad. Ratanhiae, is obtained from Krameria 

 triandra, a, Peruvian shrub. Lignum Haematoxyli is the heart-wood of Haema- 

 toxylon campechianum (South America). Puli>a Tamarindokum is the preserved 

 fleshy mesocarp of the fruit of the Tamarind-tree, Tamarindus indica (Fig. 535). 



Family Papilionaceae.— Flowers strongly zygomorphic, papil- 

 ionaceous ; corolla with descending imbricate estivation (i.e. 

 the posterior petal enclosing the others in the bud); androecium 



