Senna mexicana var. berteriana (Balb. ex DC.) H.S.Irwin & Barneby

  • Authors

    Howard S. Irwin, Rupert C. Barneby

  • Authority

    Irwin, Howard S. & Barneby, Rupert C. 1982. The American Cassiinae. A synoptical revision of Leguminosae tribe Cassieae subtrib Cassiinae in the New World. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 35, part 1: 1-454.

  • Family

    Caesalpiniaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Senna mexicana var. berteriana (Balb. ex DC.) H.S.Irwin & Barneby

  • Type

    Holotypus, Bertero 1420, seen only as fragments (2 lvs) in G-DC and in form of a caique made at G in 1925 by Hochreutiner and sent to N. L. Britton with fragmentary clastotypus, NY!—Wrongly equated by Bentham, 1871, p. 543, with C. biflora, and by Britton

  • Synonyms

    Cassia clarendonensis Britton, Peiranisia clarendonensis Britton & Rose

  • Description

    Variety Description - Pilosulous at least on young branchlets and ventral angles of lf-stalk, the lfts pubescent on both faces, beneath only, or subglabrous ciliolate; lvs 7-20 cm; petiole (measured to petiolar gland) 4- 17(- 19) mm; gland either between proximal pair or on lf-stalk between pulvinus and first pair, sessile or subsessile, squatly or slenderly ovoid or subglobose 0.6-1.5 x 0.5-1.3(-1.5) mm; lfts (8-) 10-16 pairs, the distal pair 12-23(-25) x (3.5-)4.5-7.5(-8.5) mm, the shorter proximal pairs to (4.5-)6-10 mm wide; body of pod (6-)7-11 x 0.45-0.6 cm.—Collections: 18. [Key: "Larger lvs 7-20 cm; lfts (8-)9-16 pairs. Pod 4.5-6 mm wide; Hispaniola and Jamaica."]

    Distribution and Ecology - Thickets and roadsides, sometimes weedy, often calciphile, sea level up to ±600 m, scattered along the s. coast of Hispaniola from La Altagracia, Dominican Republic, to Departement du Sud, Haiti, thence n. to lowlands of centr. Departement de l’Ouest; s.-centr. Jamaica (Clarendon Pa., Middlesex).—Fl. (IX-)X-IV.

  • Discussion

    Pilosulous and glabrate phases of var. berteriana appear neatly segregated geographically, the former being known only from southeastern Dominican Republic (D. F. and La Altagracia) and from Jamaica, all known intervening populations being of a less hairy type. We can find no substantial difference between the Jamaican and east Dominican plants.

  • Distribution

    La Altagracia Dominican Republic South America| Sud Haiti South America| Ouest Haiti South America| Jamaica South America| Clarendon Jamaica South America|