Cassia siamea Lam.
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Authority
Isley, Duane. 1975. Leguminosae of the United States: II. Subfamily Caesalpinioideae. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 25 (2): 1-228.
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Family
Caesalpiniaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Species Description - Glabrate tree with spreading branches; young growth initially puberulent but soon glabrate. Leafstalk (.6-)l-2.5 dm, eglandular; leaflets (6-)8-10(— 12) pairs, petiolulate, elliptic-oblong, 3-8 cm, 2-4 r, thick, shiny above, weakly reticulate. Stipules minute, deciduous. Flowers closely crowded, in large, erect, terminal, compound corymbs; axes heavy, with thick, persistent, subulate bracts that are medially nodose or auriculate. Pedicels (l-)2-3.5 cm, finely puberulent; buds spheroid, hard, ball-like; sepals puberulent, coriaceous, unequal, the 2 outer puberulent, ca 3-4 mm, the 3 inner 7-8 mm; corolla yellow, 2-3.5 cm diam, slightly irregular; functional stamens 7, 4 short with short filaments, 3 longer with filaments approximating anthers. Legume persistent, eventually dehiscent, narrowly oblong, compressed, usually short-beaked, 1.2-3 cm long, 1-1.5 cm wide; valves woody with thickened margins. Seeds many.
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Discussion
Sciacassia siamea (Lamarck) Britt. & Rose (1930) C. floribunda Hort. CN 2n = 28 (Amato-Avanzi, 1956; Tandon and Bhat, 1970). And others with base 14. Cassia siamea is taken up by Barrett (1956) who cites several reports but I believe it to be infrequently planted. Leaves and inflorescences in the United States are small in relation to those of average tropical material from which the above description is primarily drawn.
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Distribution
Florida. Cult, ornamental. Se Asia, widely planted throughout tropics. Oct.-Nov.
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