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

1982] CASSIINAE—CASSIA 31
exactly oblong and at apex obtuse, depressed-deltate or emarginate but shorter
ones sometimes ovate-oblong and some distal ones oblong-oblanceolate or -eUip­
tic, all at inequUateral base broadly rounded, truncate or subcordate, the longest
of a If 3.5-6.5(-8.3) x l.2-2.4(-3) cm, 2.5^(-4.2) times as long as wide, the
margins revolute, the midrib canahculate on upper and cariniform on lower face,
the 14-23 rather crowded and widely ascending pairs of camptodrome secondary
veins with tertiary and irregular reticular venules all becoming prominulous on
both faces, rarely immersed on the upper.
Racemes ascending from the branchlets, but these often drooping and the racemes
consequently obhquely geotropic, their early elongating (15-)20-45(-50)-
fld axis finaUy (8-) 10-23(-27) cm, the obtusely obovoid or globose fl-buds early
separated and raised well above the several simultaneously expanded fls; bracts
and bracteoles firm, pUosulous on both faces, the former ovate, deltate-ovate or
lance-acuminate (2-)2.5-5 mm, the latter simUar except a httle smaller, aU ca­
ducous as the pedicel beings to elongate; pedicels at fuU anthesis (8-) 10-20 mm;
hypanthium turbinate, not over 1 mm deep, often obscurely differentiated; sepals
firm, pallid greenish or pinkish, minutely densely tomentulose on both faces,
obovate or oblong-obovate obtuse, early reflexed, the longest (5.5-)6-8.5(-9) mm;
petals heteromorphic and of variable color, the vexUlary one oblong-elliptic, bent
forward, ventrally 2-callose at thickened base of blade and differing from its
neighbors in a yeUow flare or eye-spot, the rest alike obovate or obovate-flabellate
beyond the short claw, the longest petal (8.5-)9-ll mm, aU opening pink and
fading peach-color, orange-pink or pale yellow, or opening whitish fading creamy,
or aU opening white except for pink vexillum, in any case drying dull yellowishtan;
filaments glabrous, the 3 sigmoid antesepalous ones 14-22 mm, ± dilated in
the long distal curve, the 5 antepetalous erect, slenderly tapering and shghtly
diminished toward the vexillum (4.5-)5-9 mm, the 2 next the vexUlum 1-3 mm,
bent backward, the anthers all densely loosely white-pilosulous, those of 3 sig­
moid staments (1.5-)1.7-2.9(-3) x (1.1-)1.4-1.9 mm, of 5 antepetalous ones resupinate
(0.8-)1.2-2 mm, of 2 short ones 0.6-1.5 mm, the 5 antepetalous dehiscent
by widely gaping, sometimes confluent slits; ovary conspicuously stipitate, the
stipe 7-11 mm pUose with subhorizontal hairs, the body falcately incurved whitepUosulous
with ascending hairs, the style very short, the minute stigmatic cavity
looking up- and inward; ovules 74-98.
Pod pendulous, slow to mature and sometimes persistent into anthesis of the
foUowing year, massively hnear-oblong, when fuUy fertUe 40-60 x 3.6-5 cm, a
little laterally compressed but strongly turgid, keeled dorsally by 1 and ventrally
by 2 parallel blunt ribs, the former 7-14, the latter together 13-25 mm wide, the
valves at first shining green becoming rough blackish transversely cracked and
coarsely prominently venulose, consisting of a coriaceous exocarp 0.7-1.3 and
a woody endocarp 1.2-2.5 mm thick, the cavity divided by stiffly chartaceous
septa into one row of locules 7-8 mm long, these fiUed with sweetish (edible,
cathartic) pulp that dries to laminated flakes adherent to the locule-waUs; seeds
turned broadside to the septa, obovoid-ellipsoid biconvex ±14-16 x 9-10 mm,
the testa smooth lustrous castaneous; pod indehiscent, the seeds released only
by weathering on the ground.—CoUections: 110.—Fig. 1 (androecium), 2 (pod).
An element of lowland and riparian, semideciduous forest adapted to a more
or less pronounced dry season, persisting in thickets and as a fence or shade tree,
planted, apparently from remote times, about dwellings and thence sparingly
naturalized, the aboriginal dispersal consequently ambiguous or controversial,
but apparently truly native, mostly between 3 and 300 m but ascending in Nica-