Cassia patellaria DC.
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Authority
Irwin, Howard S. 1966. Contributions to the botany of Guiana. IV. Legumonosae Caesalpinioideae. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 15: 112-128.
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Family
Caesalpiniaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Distribution and Ecology - BRAZIL. Amapa: Rio Oiapoque, Irwin, Pires, fa Westra 47939.
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Discussion
A weedy herb of ruderal places, less frequently encountered (as here) outside of areas subjected to human interference. The cited collection illustrates well the phenomenon of intermittent fruit production; the plants, many together on a small rocky river island, all bore some pods 4-5 cm long and others less than 1 cm long, both types in the same fascicle with none of intermediate length. It is not clear whether this periodicity is determined by infrequent insect visitation or by an internal or other external mechanism. In a number of cultivated plants (Irwin 2818, 2819, 2834, grown in Austin, Texas, from seed collected in Minas Gerais, Brazil) flower production and fruit-set were continuous.
The varying number of glands per petiole, from one to three in individual plants of the present material, is of no taxonomic value. Similar variability has also been observed in C. glandulosa L. and C. stenocarpa Vogel.
C. patellaria was hitherto known in Guiana only from Suriname and French Guiana.
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Distribution
BRAZIL. Amapa: Rio Oiapoque, Irwin, Pires, fa Westra 47939.
Brazil South America|