Cassia L.

Large genus with more than 500 species of shrubs and trees native to tropics and dry regions. Leaves 1- paripinnate, petioled; leafstalk eglandular; leaflets several or numerous; stipules caducous. Inflorescence(s) terminal racemes, simple or usually compound; bracts caducous or persistent, paired. Calyx with separate reflexed sepals; corolla moderately zygomorphic, petals yellow or pink; androecium of 10 stamens, usually 7 fertile and 3 sterile, the lower 3 fertile stamens have a elongate sigmoid-curve. Legume slow-maturing and long-persistent, indehiscent, linear or narrowly oblong, subterete or compressed, septate between the seeds, pulpy, becoming woody. Seeds numerous. Pantropical; about 30 species. (ISE)(ST2)

Notes: The generic names Cassia and Senna have been applied to the same plants by taxonomists over the years. The names used here follow the taxonomic key in WU1. In this key, the plants in the genus Cassia have “filaments of 3 lower stamens sigmoid-curved and elongate”; plants in the genus Senna have “filaments of all stamens straight”.

1. Flowers yellow

        2. Filaments of lower stamens much exserted.................................C. fistula

       2. Filamentss of lower stamens scarcely exserted...........................C. afrofistula

1. Flowers pink to reddish, not yellow

3. Anthers pilose, young growth conspicuously pubescent..............C. grandis

3. Anthers barely pubescent, young growth usually glabrous..........C. javanica

(WU1, ISE, PBCC)