Senna 
drying dark, erect terete glands between lower 
2 pairs, rachis to basal leaflets 20-40 mm long, 
rachis 32-60 mm long; leaflets 3 pairs, obovate, base 
slightly asymmetric, 15-45 mm long, 10-23 mm wide, 
L/W 1.5-2. Inflorescence an axillary reduced raceme; 
peduncle c. 1 mm long; flowering pedicels 2-8 mm 
long; colleters on pedicel and receptacle. Bracts as 
for stipules, 2-3 mm long. Sepals unequal, elliptic, 
CAESALPINIACEAE 39 
ciliate, 3.5-6 mm long. Functional stamens 7, beak 
absent; staminodes 3. Ovary hairy, sessile. Mature 
pods and seed not seen. Flowering: Apr. Not 
illustrated. 
From India to China. Introduced in Qld and NT. 
Rare in the DR where known from the Daly and 
Reynolds Rivers. On black soil plains or edges of 
billabongs. 
TAMARINDUS L. 
A monotypic genus widespread in the tropics of the Old World. Because of extensive cultivation the natural 
range is now uncertain but the species is certainly indigenous at least in Africa and India. 
*T, indica L. 
Evergreen tree to 25 m; bark brown, fissured. 
Stems with short patent simple hairs, otherwise 
glabrous. Stipules minute, caducous. Leaves 
paripinnate, rachis 40-125 mm long; leaflets 11-18 
pairs, slightly discolorous, oblong, asymmetric, 
emarginate, 5-26 mm long, 3.5-10 mm wide, 
L/W 1.4-3.8. Inflorescence terminal or axillary 
racemes to 210 mm long. Bracts and bracteoles 
caducous, oblanceolate-cymbiform, c. 7 mm long. 
Hypanthium narrowly turbinate, 3-5 mm long. 
Sepals 4, free, imbricate, unequal, narrow-elliptic, 
9.5-11 mm long. Petals 5, apricot to maroon, streaked 
or mottled, unequal, 2 as minute bristles or scales, 3 
naviculate, crimped and crenate, narrow-elliptic, 
centre petal with thickened base, 6-12 mm long. 
Stamens 3 functional, fused for half their length into 
a flattened claw, with 4 vestigial staminodes as 
teeth between filaments; anthers dorsifixed, versatile, 
opening by longitudinal slits. Ovary stipitate, 
arising from one side of hypanthium, glabrous; ovules 
11-12; style fringed on one side; stigma capitate. Pods 
brown, scurfy, crustaceous, indehiscent, flattened 
cylindrical, irregularly constricted between seeds, 
50-95 mm long, 19-26 mm wide. Seeds 1-5, brown, 
flattened, quadrate, c. 10 mm long, 9 mm wide, 
immersed in fibrous, brown, acid, edible pulp. 
Flowering: Feb - Mar; fruits persisting throughout 
year. Fig. 14 Tamarind 
Introduced by the Macassans to the north 
Australian coast (Macknight, 1976). Now widely 
scattered at coastal localities in vine thickets. Also 
commonly cultivated for the edible fruit and as a 
shade tree. 
FABACEAE . 
Trees, shrubs, herbs or vines; stems rarely expanded and leaf-like (cladodes) with reduced leaves. 
Stipules usually present; stipels present or absent. Leaves mostly alternate, compound or less often, 
simple; often with a distinct pulvinus. Inflorescences various; flowers zygomorphic, bisexual. Calyx 
tubular, 5-, rarely 4-lobed or 2-lipped, the lobes equal or not, imbricate or valvate. Petals 5, 
imbricate, free at the base, the keel petals often partly connate; adaxial petal (standard or vexillum) 
outermost and usually the largest, the lateral petals (wings) enclosing the 2 innermost (keel) petals 
which enclose the androecium and gynoecium. Stamens 10, rarely fewer, free or more often united 
into a sheath for part of their length, the upper (adaxial or vexillary) stamen often free or nearly so 
(= 9+1 in descriptions), filaments often alternating long and short; anthers 2-locular, uniform or 
alternately basifixed and dorsifixed, opening by longitudinal slits. Ovary 1-carpellate with terminal 
style and stigma; 1-locular with marginal placentation. Fruit a legume, dry, usually dehiscent along 
