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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 ALATA L.
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PlaceOfPublication
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Sp. P1. 378. 1753.
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Synonym
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Cassia herpetica Jacq. Obs. Bot. 2:24, t. 45, fig. 2. 1767. Cassia bracteata L. f. Suppl. 232. 1781, fide Benth. Senna alata Roxb. Fl. Ind. 2:349. 1832. Herpetica alata (L.) Raf. 'Sylva Tellur. 123. 1838.
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Description
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Shrub to 3 m. tall, the branchlets minutely puberulent to subglabrous, stout, terete. Leaves large, up to 28-foliolate; petioles relatively short, like the rachis; rachis elongate, up to 3 or more dm. long, flattened and margined above, somewhat nodose and septate between the insertions of the paired leaflets, minutely puber- ulent, eglandular; stipules lanceolate-subulate, usually about 1 cm. long, basally subauriculate by oblique insertion; leaflets 5-14 pairs, oblong to obovate or the lowermost sometimes ovate, up to 17 cm. long and 9 cm. wide, the uppermost largest, apically rounded and mucronulate (occasionally subretuse), basally rounded- subtruncate and obliquely inequilateral, subglabrous above and below, dull below, chartaceous, reticulate; petiolules 1-2 mm. long. Inflorescence terminal or sub- terminal, the many-flowered raceme appearing spike-like because of the short pedicels; bracts foliaceous, ovate or oblong, up to 2.5 cm. long and 2 cm. wide, persistent until anthesis and ensheathing the upper raceme, minutely puberulent, imbricate. Flowers yellow, conspicuous; sepals oblong, up to 15 mm. long and 8 mm. wide, delicately reticulate-venose, minutely puberulent or subglabrous; petals obovate to orbicular, up to 2 cm. long and 12 mm. wide, prominently dark-veined, clawed; stamens 10, 4-morphic; center stamen of the 3 lowermost with an elongate filament 6-7 mm. long, the anther small (about 4 mm. long), obliquely rostrate and dehiscent by 2 terminal pores, subsagittate basally; 2 lateral stamens of the lowermost group large, falcate, the filaments 2-3 mm. long, the anthers 11-12 mm. long, unequally bilocular, apically obliquely short-rostrate and dehiscent by a pair of terminal pores, basally each loculus prolonged as a subulate tip; 4 median stamens with filaments about 2 mm. long, the anthers 3-4 mm. long and similar to that of the lowermost center stamen; upper 3 stamens minute, non-functional, twisted, about 2 mm. long; ovary densely puberulent, arcuate. Legume broadly linear, about 15 cm. long and 1.5 cm. wide, longitudinally alate from the middle of each valve (the wing about 5 mm. wide), dehiscent, septate, straight, charta- ceous; seeds transverse, compressed, rhombic.
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Habit
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Shrub
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Distribution
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Mexico to Paraguay; Old World tropics.
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Specimen
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CANAL ZONE: France Field, Standley 30438. COCLEi: Ola, Pittier go88. PANAMA: between Panama' and Chepo, Dodge, Hunter, Steyermark d Allen i6646; Rio Tecuimen, Standley 26677; Taboga Island, Macbride 2794. VERAGUAS: Sona', Allen 1075.
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Note
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Distinguished by the alate legume, foliaceous bracts, large lateral anthers, venose perianth, and the many subseptate, eglandular rachial (foliolar) nodes.
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