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

332 MEMOIRS OF THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN [VOL. 35
Shmbs 2-3 m with gray or castaneous striate or finely canahculate older branch­
es, glabrous throughout or the pulvinules and dorsal face of hts and some axes
of inflorescence charged with fine or random subappressed-incurved hairs to
0.3-0.7 mm and the ovary often thinly pUosulous, the fohage strongly bicolored,
the firmly membranous lfts dull dark green above, palUd and often glaucescent
beneath, the racemes mostly subtended by fuUy developed lvs and at first lateral
immersed, at length becoming ± paniculate, the panicle sometimes shorUy
exserted.
Stipules erect or spreading, thinly herbaceous, symmetrically linear-lanceolate
or lance-acuminate plane 3.5-6 x 0.7-1.7 mm, early deciduous.
Lvs at least sometimes heteromorphic, those of vigorous main stems (lacking
from most spms) longer and ampler than the rest, those of flowering branchlets
mostly 4-14 (the lower up to 22) cm; petiole including strongly wrinkled pulvinus
(1.7-)2-4.5(-5.5) cm, at middle 0.6-1.1(-1.9) mm diam, narrowly grooved ven­
traUy; rachis 0.7^(-5.5) cm; pulvinules 0.9-2.2(-2.5) mm; glands (often eaten)
between ah pairs or aU but the distal pair stipitate or subsessUe, in profile 1.4-3.5
mm tall, the fusiform acute or obtuse head 0.4-0.8 mm diam; lfts (2-)3-5 pairs,
accrescent distally, elliptic-oblong, eUiptic or obovate, obtuse mucronulate or
minutely emarginate, the distal pair mostly (1.8-)2-6 x (0.7-)0.8-1.7 (or in some
lower lvs up to 1.5-3.8) cm, 2-4.2(-4.5) times as long as wide, all at base rounded
or semicordate on proximal and cuneate on distal side, the often discolored margin
plane (incipiently revolute if dried when young), the venation of upper face
immersed, the straight midrib cariniform beneath, there giving rise to 6-10(-13)
pairs of fine, weakly prominulous or fully immersed but discolored secondary
venules, subsequent venulation 0.
Racemes loosely 8-35(-60)-fld, the nodding buds usually elevated a Uttie above
level of open fls, the axis together with short peduncle becoming (2.5-)4-17 cm;
bracts resembhng stipules in texture, lanceolate or narrowly lance-ovate 2.5-5 x
0.4-1 mm, caducous; mature pedicels 13-33 mm; young fl-buds plumply obovoid
glabrous; sepals submembranous fuscous-purphsh with narrow hyahne margin,
obovate or oblong-obovate obtuse, not much graduated, the 2 outer ones 4-6
mm, the longest inner one 6.5-8 mm; petals yellow drying brownish-yeUow, delicately
dark-veined, glabrous, the vexillary one broadest obovate-flabeUate emar­
ginate, the rest oblong-obovate obtuse, the longest 9.5-14.5 mm; androecium
glabrous, the 3 staminodes dilated paddle-shaped, the filaments of 4 median sta­
mens 1-1.6 mm, of 2 latero-abaxial ones dilated (3.5-)4-7.5 mm, of the centric
abaxial one 1.3-3 mm, the anthers of 4 median stamens 3.2-4.5 mm, of 2 latero-
abaxial ones 4.7-6.5 x 1.3-1.6 mm, of the centric abaxial one depauperate
3.3^.5 X 0.6-0.8 mm, aU obUquely tmncate, the orifice a little produced into a
narrow apron, the orifice divided by slender septum; ovary thinly pUosulous
proximaUy or subglabrous; style 2.5-3 mm, abmptly incurved at tip through at
least 300°, not or scarcely dilated, at apex 0.2-0.3 mm diam, the orifice terminal
glabrous; ovules 12-25.
Pod obhquely pendulous, the stipe 3.5-5 mm, the narrowly oblong piano-com­
pressed body 3.5-8 x 1.2-1.6 cm, bicarinate ventraUy, simply carinate dorsaUy,
the papery brownish, dehcately venulose valves only slightly raised over the
seeds, the seed-locules 3^.5 mm long; seeds (little known) obovoid, 4.4-6.3 x
2.5-3.9 mm, plump or moderately compressed parallel to the valves, obscurely
pinched at hilum, the testa brown lustrous, either smooth or coarsely pitted,
exareolate.—CoUections: 11.
Rocky hUlsides and thickets along streams, 1600-2800 m, apparently local and