F A B A C E M. . 257 



* * Glandular. 



C. lanceolata, Forskal. — Leaflets in 4 — 5 pairs, never more ; oblong, and either acute 

 or obtuse, but neither ovate nor lanceolate, and never tomentose, even when young. Pe- 

 tioles with a small, round, brown gland, a little above the base. The legumes are erect, 

 oblong, tapering to the base, turgid, mucronate, somewhat falcate, especially when young ; 

 at which time they are sparingly beset with scattered hairs. 



This plant is a native of many places in Arabia, and is the Suna of the 

 natives. It is considered by Forskal as the true Mecca Senna. It differs 

 from C. medica and its varieties by the presence of a gland on the petiole, 

 and in the leaves never being tomentose. 



Forskal, Fl. Arab. 65 ; Lindley, Fl. Med. 259 ; C. Forskalii, Royle, 

 Mat. Med. 350 ; Sene de Nubie, Nectoux, t. 2 ? 



4. C. jEthioptica, Guibourt. — Leaflets in 3 — 5 pairs, pubescent, oval-lanceolate. A 

 gland at the base of the petiole, and one between each pair of leaflets. Legumes flat, 

 smooth, not reniform, rounded, tawny-coloured, containing 3 — 5 seeds. 



Guibourt, Hist, des Drogues, ed. 3, ii. 219 ; Lindley, FL Med. 259 ; C. 

 ovata, Merat and De Lens, Diet. vi. 311 ; Royle, Mat. Med. 351. 



Merat and De Lens are of opinion that it is C. lanccolata, fig. C. pi. xv. of 

 Colladon, Histoire Naturelle des Casses. Guibourt, however, does not re- 

 fer it to this, but says that it is represented by Sene de Nubie, plate 2, of 

 Nectoux ; and as before said, Pereira thinks that it is C. semia, Stephenson 

 and Churchill, i. 30, which is stated by Lindley to be a good figure of C. acu- 

 tifolia, Delille. 



It is said to be a low shrub, not exceeding eighteen inches in height, found 

 in Nubia and Fezzan, south of Tripoli. The leaves are smaller, shorter, and 

 less acute than those of C. lanceolata, but may be a variety of it, though the 

 presence of the additional glands appear to entitle it to be considered as dis- 

 tinct. As the plant has not been described by any botanist from perfect 

 specimens, and all that is known of its characters are derived from the leaves 

 and pods, as found in commerce, it is impossible to decide with certainty re- 

 specting it. It furnishes the Tripoli Senna, the least esteemed of the acute- 

 leaved kinds. 



These are the species supposed to yield the Senna, and it will be perceived, 

 as before stated, that great confusion exists with regard to them. This has 

 arisen from many causes ; the principal of which are, the want of authentic 

 specimens ; the difficulty of studying the plants in their places of growth ,• the 

 ignorance of what effect a difference of locality exercises in producing varie- 

 ties, and whether the presence or absence of the glands on the petioles are to 

 be assumed as specific characters. From my own observations on some West 

 Indian species of Cassia, especially the C. occidentalism I have been con- 

 vinced that the presence, absence, or particular situation of the gland is a fal- 

 lacious indication. In some specimens, the gland was wanting on one or more 

 of the petioles; on others it was situated near the insertion, and again, might 

 be seen between the first pair of leaflets. Delille admits that the plant he de- 

 scribed and figured was the same as that noticed by Nectoux, and yet the 

 first of these authors states that the petiole is without a gland, whilst the latter 

 says that it has not only a gland at the base of the leafstalk, but one between 

 each pair of leaflets. As the matter now stands, it appears that the older 

 writers were right in making but two species, the C alexandria and C. ita- 

 lica; the first including those with narrow and acute leaves, and the latter 

 confined to what is now called C. obovata. Much observation and comparison 

 are required before this question will be satisfactorily settled. Some excellent 



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