PERKINS — THE LEGUMINOSAE OF PORTO RICO. L55 



19. CASSIA I.. 



Cassia L. Sp. PI. 1: :;:<;. L753. 

 Senna Toi rn.; Mill. Gard. Diet. ed. 8. I 

 Bactyrilobium Willd. Enum. 139. L809. 

 Chamaefistula G. Don, Bist. Dichl. PI. 2: 151. L832. 



Calyx with a very Bhorl receptacle and 5 imbricate segments; petals 5, imbricate, 

 spreading, subequal or the anterior Larger; Btamens sometimes LO, all perfeel and bud- 

 equal, or the anterior shorter, or the three anterior very -mall, abortive, or wanting, 

 sometimes only -V. filaments very shorl or elongated, rarely oodose, in< 

 dilated in the middle; anthers uniform, or those of the anterior stamens larger, their 

 cells dehiscing in terminal pores or in shorl lateral -lit-: ovary Bessile or stipitate, free 

 in the fundus of the receptacle, often arcuate, multiovulate, Btyle shorl or elongated; 

 Btigma terminal, small, truncate, rarely ciliate or turgid; Legume terete, flat, com- 

 pressed, quadrangular, oralate, membranous, coriaceous, or ligneous, indehiscent, or 

 sometimes 2-valved, with or withoul transverse internal septa, seldom with pulp; 

 seeds albuminous, flattened al righl angles to or parallel with the valves, rarely rhom- 

 boid-subterete, transverse, rarely Longitudinally disposed in the Legume; cotyledons 

 ovate or oblong, plane, sometimes sinuous. Tree-, shrubs, or herbs; Leaves paripin- 

 nate, rarely wanting or reduced to small squamae; stipules various; glands of the com- 

 mon petiole sessile or stipitate, verrucose, hypocrateriform, scutellate, near the base 

 or interpetioluiar: flowers yellow or red, in axillary or terminal racemes, corymbs, or 

 fascicles; occasionally solitary or geminate in the axils. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



Perfect stamens usually 7, the 3 anterior with long curved 

 filaments, often dilated beyond the middle, ami ovate 

 or elliptical anthers, not exceeding 4 to 6 mm. in length, 

 dehiscing longitudinally: the I to 6 intermediate fila- 

 ments much shorter, erect, dehiscing by mean- of pore-; 

 the remaining anthers 3. 2, or 1, much smaller, often 

 sterile: legume elongated, pendulous, terete or slightly 

 compressed, indehiscent or rarely dehiscent, divided by 

 transverse partitions into numerous 1-seeded cavities; 

 seeds horizontal, flattened at right angles to the axis of 

 the legume. (Subgenus and Section Fistula I" 



Leaflets l to 8-jugate, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, 7 to L2.5 

 cm. long, l to 7 cm. wide, subacuminate, glabrous; 

 petiolules rather long; legume round. 30 to 60 em. Long, 

 levigate. I. C. fistula. 



Leaflet LO to 20-jugate, oblong, 3.5 to 5.5 m. long, 2.5 

 cm. wide, obtuse al both ends, both surfaces pubescent; 

 petiolules short; legume compressed-cylindrical, 15 to 

 60 cm. long, veno^e-niL r o-e. 2. C. grandis. 



Perfeel stamens usually 7. the 2 or 3 anterior somewhal longer, 

 the anthers linear curved. 6.5 to 1.", mm. Long, opening at 

 the top by 1 or 2 pores, rarely dehiscing Longitudinally; sta- 

 minodia usually :'>: valves not elastic the legume rarely in- 

 dehiscent. Subgenus Senna Benth.) 



Legumes round, turgid or slightly compressed; seeds 

 transverse, horizontal: leaves interglandular or eglan- 

 dular. Section Chamaefisti la I»< ' 



Leaflets 2-jugate. '.*>. C. quinquangulata. 



