Cassiinae pt 1 NY-Botanical_gardens_Vol. 35_1 - Copy.pdf - Antbase

1982] CASSIINAE—CASSIA 15
1.3-2.8(-3.2) mm diam, subterete, the ventral sulcus obscure or very shallow and
narrow, only upward along rachis becoming a little excavated below each pair of
pulvinules; rachis (7-) 10-33(-40) cm, its longer interfoholar segments 4-7(-8.5)
cm; pulvinules paUid or livid wrinkled, sulcate ventrally (2.8-)3-8(-9) mm; lfts
(2-)3-7 pairs, accrescent upward but either the terminal or the penultimate pair
largest, these subsymmetrically ovate from broadly or narrowly cuneate base,
(7-)9.5-21 X (4.5-)5-8.5(-9) cm, (1.6-)1.8-2.8(-3) times as long as wide, at apex
obscurely to emphatically acuminate, the acumen itself obtuse or retuse mucro-
nulate, the plane margin dehcately nerve-marginate, the tapering midrib immersed
or shaUowly depressed above, cariniform beneath, giving rise on each side to
±30-60 camptodrome and almost equally strong intercalary secondary veins,
these aU with the tertiary and reticular venulation finely sharply prominulous on
both faces.
Racemes laxly (7-)15-75-fld, the tapering primary axis 1.5-6.5 dm, that of some
lateral axes shorter, all elongating prior to anthesis, then several fls simultaneously
expanded and often retaining their ± reflexed petals after both sepals and
androecium have fallen; bracts subulate or hnear-caudate 2-5 mm, caducous with
the similar but shorter bracteoles as the pedicel begins to elongate; pedicels (of
fuUy expanded fls, including the hypanthium) 3-6(-7.5) cm, widely spreading or
from geotropic axes refracted and twisted to restore the (actually resupinate) fl
to vertical; hypanthium slenderly vase-shaped 2-5.5 mm; sepals early reflexed,
thinly herbaceous membranous-margined, greenish, brownish or pink-tinged, pu­
berulent on both faces, scarcely or moderately graduated, the inner ones obovate
or oblong-elliptic (6-)6.5-9.5(-11.5) mm; petals clear golden-yeUow drying pale
yeUow dehcately brown-veined, subequilong or the vexillum shortest and the
abaxial petals longest, the elliptic-oblanceolate or obovate blade cuneately nar­
rowed to a claw 1-2.5 mm, the longest petal (18-)21-32 x (8-)ll-24 mm; an­
droecium glabrous except for dorsally pilosulous fertUe anthers, the sigmoid fil­
aments of 3 long stamens (26-)31-43 mm, of 4 fertUe antepetalous ones erect
linear-attenuate, varying (in 2 pairs) from 5-7 to 11-13 mm, of 3 adaxial stamens
4-13 mm, that of the 2 antesepalous ones curved or coiled at apex, that of the
antevexiUar one straight; anthers of 3 long stamens elliptic or ovate-elliptic obtuse
(3.5-)3.6^.6 X 2.1-2.5 mm, of 4 fertile antepetalous ones pitched forward, in
lateral view gently sigmoid-curved, in dorsal view broadly oblanceolate
4-5.2 X 1.8-2.4 mm, the anthers of 3 adaxial stamens much smaller ±1.2-2.4
mm, SterUe or almost so; ovary strigulose, sometimes subglabrous, rarely pUo­
sulous, its stipe 5.5-9 mm, the style 3^.5(-5) x (0.6-)0.65-0.9(-l) mm, its
obhquely antrorse stigmatic cavity 0.15-0.3 mm; ovules (80-)92-122(-151).
Pod pendulous, slowly maturing and long persisting on the tree, narrowly rod-
shaped terete (strangulated only where ovules abort), when fully fertile 3-6
dm X 1.5-2.3(-2.5) cm, abruptly rounded at both ends, the sutures externally
visible but not thickened and fuUy immersed, the thin fibrous epidermis early
atrolivid or black, smooth glabrous and transversely fissured when dry, the woody
endocarp 0.5-1 mm thick, the interseminal septa stiffly chartaceous 0.15-0.2 mm
thick, the fertUe locules ±5 mm long; seeds transverse, turned broadside to the
septa embedded in sweet glutinous blackish pulp, this lining the locule when dry
with a pitchlike layer and also enveloping the seed with a thin loose envelope,
the seed itself biconvexly obovoid-ellipsoid 7.5-10 x 6-7 x 2.5-3 mm, the cas­
taneous testa smooth and glossy; x = 14.—Collections: 56.—Fig. 2 (pod).
Native of s.-e. Asia, probably (De Wit, 1955, I.e.) originaUy in open forest
subject to dry monsoon conditions, prized for the beauty of its flowers sometimes