Cassia.] LEGUMINOSM. . 291 



Herbs or small uridershrulDS, sepals 

 tiSTially acute. 



Leaflets 4, rather large, membranous ; 

 sepals oblong, obtuse or slightly acute 

 (Sect. Absus) 8. C. Ahsus. 



Leaflets very many, small narrow and 

 rigidly coriaceous; sepals narrow, 

 acute (Sect. Cham^crista). 

 Gland of petiole stalked. 



Stamens 5 9. C. pumila. 



Stamens 10 10. C. Kleinii. 



Gland < f petiole sessile. 



Stamens 5, the upper one often 



barren • . . . , 11. 0. dimidiata. 

 Stamens 10, all fertile . . .12. 0. mimosoides. 

 Stamens 10, with 1-3 of the upper 

 ones barrem, flowers large . . 13. C. Leschenaultiana. 



I.e. Fistula, Linn. 8p. PI. 377 ^ Roxh. ; Fl. Tnd. ii, 333; W. Sf A., 



Prod. 285 ; Royle III. 184 ; D. S^ G. Bomb. Fl. SO ; Brand. For. Fl. 164 ; 

 F.B.I. ,ii,261 ; Watt E.D. C. rhombifolia, Roxh.; Fl. hid. ii, 334.-Yevn.. 

 Amaltds, Tcirdla (Dehra Dun), Idtwdli (Bijnov). Indian Laburnum. 



,A medium-sized tree with thick yellowish or greenish-grey bark. Leaves 

 8-16 in. Icng, rachis terete; leaflets 4-8 pairs, distinctly stalked, 2-6 in. 

 long, ovate, acuminate, entire, cuneate towards the base, coriaceous, 

 shining above, clothed when young with caducous silvery pubescence ; 

 lateral nerves close, slender, prominent beneath, i^'ioicers bright-yellow, 

 inl^ng axillary pendulcus lax racemes 1-2 ft. long ; pedicels 1-2 in., 

 spreading; bracts minute, caducous. Calyx 5-partite ; lobes about 

 5 in long, nearly equal, ovate, obtuse, caducous. Petals f in. long, 

 nearly equal, obovate, shortly clawed, veined. Stamens 20, all with 

 anthers, the 3 lowest with long thick curving filaments and large 

 anthers opening by slits, the 4-6 intermediate ones with shorter fila- 

 ments and smaller diverging anther-lobes opening by pores, the remain- ■ 

 ing 1-3 with still shorter filaments and indehiscent anther-lobes. Pod 

 cylindrical, pendulous, 1-2 ft. long and about 1 in. in diam, indehiscenti, 

 smooth, hard, dark-brown or black, transversely divided into numerous 

 1-seeded cells by brittle ligneous dissepiments. Seecis flat, embedded 

 in soft black sweetish pulp, albuminous. 



jAbundant in forest tracts throughout the area, also much cultivated in 

 gardens. Distrib. Outer Himalaya up to 4,030 ft., and hilly tracts 

 throughout India from the Punjab to Ceylon, Malaya, Malay Islands 

 and China. Flowers April— July, and the fruit ripens in the cold season. 

 The bark is used in dyeing and tanning. The pulp of the fruit and 

 other parts of the tree are used medicinally. The wood is very dur- 

 able, but it is difl&cult to obtain large enough pieces for timber pur- 

 p ses. The twigs are sometimes lopped for cattle fodder. An extremely 

 handsome tree when in flower. 



