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(Last Modified On 11/27/2012)
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(Last Modified On 11/27/2012)
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Species
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CASSIA Maxonii (Britt. & Rose) Schery
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Synonym
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Chamaefistula Maxonii Britt. & Rose, in N. Am. Fl. 23:234. 1930. Chamaefistula Hayesiana Britt. & Rose, loc. cit. 235. 1930. Chamaefistula anconis Britt. & Rose, loc. cit. 236. 1930. Chamaefistula Williamsii Britt. & Rose, loc. cit. 236. 1930.
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Description
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Small to moderate trees, the branchlets puberulent to glabrous. Leaves nor- mally 4-foliolate, moderately large; petiole 2-4 cm. long, stout, puberulent to glabrous, somewhat sulcate above; rachis similar, usually about 3 cm. long, with a prominent subconic gland between the lower pair of leaflets and generally a smaller gland or protuberance apically; stipules linear-lanceolate, curved, about 1 cm. long; leaflets ovate to elliptic, up to 15 cm. long and 7 cm. wide, acute to acuminate apically, obtuse or rounded and slightly inequilateral basally, glabrous above, puberulent-tomentulose and with raised prominent veins below, the veins brown against a dull-green background. Inflorescence terminal or subterminal, of
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Habit
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trees
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Description
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1 to few usually flexuous racemes or panicles, puberulent; bracts linear-lanceolate, caducous; pedicels generally 2-3 cm. long. Flowers yellow, showy; sepals oblong to narrowly ovate, less than 8 mm. long, rounded apically, puberulent; petals larger, obovate, up to about 2 cm. long and 1.5 cm. broad, lightly puberulent; fertile stamens 4 (the median ones), all similar, the others more or less abortive or reduced or caducous; anthers oblong, about 8 mm. long, somewhat curved, apically short-rostrate, basally rounded-subtruncate, dehiscent by terminal pores; ovary linear, densely pubescent. Legume linear, angled-subterete, up to 25 cm. long and about 2 cm. wide, straight, smooth; seeds transverse.
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Distribution
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Mexico; Central America; northern South America.
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Specimen
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CANAL ZONE: Ancon, Bro. Heriberto 38, Killip I2055, Williams 9; Balboa, Standley 25532, 26447, 28492; Bellavista, Macbride 2750, Piper 5357, Standley 25346; near Culebra, Pittier 23I2, Standley 25957; Empire to Mandinga, Piper 5142. COCLE: between Las Margaritas and El Valle, Woodson, Allen & Seibert I766; Penonome, Williams I35. PANAMA: Matias Hernandez, Standley 28960; between Panama' and Chepo, Dodge, Hunter, Steyermark d Allen i6647; near Panama', Standley 26844, 27766; Rio Tapia, Standley 28183; Rio Tecuimen, Standley 26568; Taboga Island, Standley 27069, 27986. SAN BLAS: Puerto Obaldia, Pittier 4405. UNKNOWN: "Panama", Seemann 225.
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Note
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Central American specimens with only 4 large functional stamens are found distributed now and then as C. bacillaris (= C. fruticosa) and very frequently as C. oxyphylla. Drawing from specimens distributed under these two species (along with many specimens undetermined to species), markedly inequilateral leaves, usually larger buds and perianth parts, and appressed lower leaflet pubescence seem linked with a 7-stamen characteristic. Such characters would determine C. fruticosa, while C. Maxonii (often found in herbaria as C. oxyphylla) would then be distinguished by the reduced functional stamen number, the less inequi- lateral leaves, generally smaller petals and sepals, narrower buds, more tomentulose raised pubescence of lower surface of the leaflet, etc. C. Maxonii seems to differ from C. oxyphylla of South America only in pos- sessing 4 rather than 7 functional stamens. The writer was tempted to list C. Maxonii as a variety of C. oxyphylla, under the descriptive varietal name of quadristaminea, but refrained from so doing because: (1) the staminal difference would appear without intermediacy, and (2) the "tail would then wag the dog", the 4-stamen entity having been accumulated in the herbaria in a near absolute majority for Central America for almost a century (as C. oxyphylla following Bentham, or undetermined to species). Unfortunately, on priority grounds the name C. Maxonii must be given this species, although C. Maxanii was described (as Chamaefistula Maxonii) inade- quately and apparently without comprehension of the staminal difference separating it from C. oxyphylla. It thus may be more useful in analyzing the entity here resolved as C. Maxonii to refer to my description rather than to the original, and to regard most of the specimens cited as more "typical" of the entity than is the type (Maxon d Harvey 66ii). At an opposite extremity of "untypicalness" from "Chamaefistula Maxonii", but connected by intergradation within the entity, is "Chamaefistula anconis Britt. & Rose". The latter was not selected as name- bringing synonym since its type is in fruit only. For the same reason, although more "typical" in foliage characters, "Chamaefistula Williamsii Britt." was not chosen. Another synonym, "Chamaefistula Hayesiana Britt. & Rose", was rejected because of poor condition of the type and "untypical" leaflet pubescence approach- ing that of C. fruticosa var. dariensis. Possibly monographic study will some day indicate an earlier name for this species, but inasmuch as most older descriptions, the types for which are not available to us, fail to stress the staminal character- istics, I am unable to list with certainty any name taking precedence over C. Maxonii.
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