Cassia coluteoides Collad.
-
Authority
Isley, Duane. 1975. Leguminosae of the United States: II. Subfamily Caesalpinioideae. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 25 (2): 1-228.
-
Family
Caesalpiniaceae
-
Scientific Name
-
Description
Species Description - Spreading, glabrate to infrequently puberulent (U.S.) spreading or vinelike shrub to small tree, 1-3 m. Leafstalk 4-8 cm, with a spheroid to substipitate and pointed gland between lowermost leaflet pair; leaflets (2-)4-5 pairs, petioluled, broadly cuneate-obovate to elliptic, rounded apically, largest distally, the medial 1.4-3.5 cm long, .7-1.8 cm wide, 1.4-2.3(-3.2) r, blades pale and obscurely to evidently punctate beneath, glabrate, or with a patch of puberulence on lower side at base, or (infrequently) entirely puberulous below. Stipules subulate, falcate, caducous. Flowers 3-12 in small or well developed axillary racemes (peduncle-axes 3-10 cm) that are often congested apically with reduced subtending leaves. Pedicels 1-2 cm; sepals broadly elliptic, unequal, the larger 8-10 mm; corolla golden-yellow, 3-4 dm diam; functional stamens 7, unequal, 2 much longer with filaments 1 cm and exceeding anthers. Legume indehiscent, ultimately breaking irregularly, substipitate, oblong, heavily cylindric (quadrangular pods an artifact of pressing), 7—12(— 15) cm long, 1-1.5 cm diam (immature pods of full length no more than 6 mm diam), brown, smooth, becoming cross-ridged and semiligneous at full maturity, cross-septate internally. Seeds numerous.
-
Discussion
Adipera bicapsularis (L.) Britt. & Rose (1930) excl. basionym Cassia bicapsularis auct. Cassia candolleana Hort. Cassia splendida Hort. (Other synonyms in discussion following). CN n — 14 (Irwin and Turner, 1960; as C. bicapsularis, probably C. coluteoides). Shrubs traditionally called Cassia bicapsularis are reasonably abundant in cultivation and established in warm and tropical regions of both hemispheres. Although cultivated material certainly includes more than one species, the relative status of these, however, is uncertain because the C. bicapsularis-coluteoides complex is yet one of the major problems in the genus. Cassia bicapsularis and kindred are native to South America and Mexico, apparendy including both native and introduced kinds. Variation is exhibited in habit; flower size; exsertion and rostration of lower anthers; length of pedicels; in shape, color, number and pubescence of leaflets; and pod size. Introduced plants from warm regions about the world show a similar although more muted range of features. Most of this material (South American or otherwise) is identified C. bicapsularis in herbaria. The remainder has received a variety of names, those represented in the United States including: C. bicapsularis L.4 This is a sprawling, thicket-forming semi-scandent shrub of tropical Brazil. The typical form (variety?) is characteristically more or less glabrous, dark-leaved, and small flowered. In Venezuela, Colombia and elsewhere, a number of variants have been described (mostly as ancillary species), which have more pubescence, lighter leaves, and larger flowers. In central Brazil and southward, below Amazonia, C. bicapsularis is not found. Very little U.S. material is typical C. bicapsularis. C. coluteoides Coll., a less scandent species of drier more open areas, replaces C. bicapsularis to the south. It is slightly more pubescent than C. bicapsularis (often with a characteristic patch of pubescence at base of lower side of blade on one side of midrib), lighter leaves, large and more prolific flowers, and longer pods. Most U.S. representation is of this species or variety. C. bicapsularis var. pubescens Benth. = C. coluteoides as to U.S. material. C. ovalifolia Mart. 8c Gal. Type from Mexico. Usually pubescent aspect of C. coluteoides but with leaflets 4-5 pairs, lengthening and becoming narrower distally. One specimen seen has glands between two pairs of pinnae. Pedicels and stamens elongate. C. indecora H.B.K. Mexico, Antilles, South America. Leaflets 4 pairs in material seen, obovate, pubescent beneath; pedicels 1 cm or slightly more; flower size and stamens about as C. coluteoides or corolla smaller. Ovary pilose. I suppose this to be a distinct species. C. bicapsularis var. rostrata Benth. Brazil = C. coluteoides. C. augusti Harms. C. bicapsularis var. augusti (Harms) Macbride. Passes as C. augusti in U.S. A smaller flowered liana from Peru. In material seen, flowers 1.5-2 cm diam, leaflets 3-5 pairs, pedicels longer than in C. bicapsularis, ca 1 cm or shorter, much shorter than those of C. coluteoides. Phototype seems to match material. Probably a geographic variety of C. bicapsularis or affiliate species. C. oblongifolia Vog. Alleged to have more leaflets than C. bicapsularis, 6-10 pairs and compressed pods, essentially as C. coluteoides as to material so marked: leaflets ca 6 pairs, averaging more narrowly oblong-obovate, but becoming longer and narrower toward apex, the lower obovate, ca 1.3 r, and the upper ca 3 r; flowers a bit smaller, and lower anthers not so far exserted. Legume not seen. C. corymbosa plurijuga Benth. Similar to C. oblongifolia. Leaflets, especially upper, with lanceolate shape of C. corymbosa, but 6-7 pairs. Glands intermediate between those of coluteoides and corymbosa. Several modern authors treating Cassia in the Old World have tentatively recognized C. coluteoides as well as C. bicapsularis (de Wit, 1955; Backer and van den Brink, 1963; and Brenan, 1967). Other species were not considered. Delimitations of the earlier authors are unsatisfactory, but Brenan’s is lucid and essentially identical to that following: 1. Leaflets (2-)3 pairs; pedicels 3-5 mm in flower, 5-7 mm in fruit. C. bicapsularis. 1. Leaflets (3-)4-7 pairs; pedicels to 2 cm or more. C. coluteoides. See C. bicapsularis, relatively uncommon in the United States, for treatment of that species, and to which C. augusti is referred. The remainder, cultivated and slightly established from Florida to California, are largely C. coluteoides, and I provisionally relegate all to that name. It is possible (or probable) that I have submerged other taxa, minor in the United States, within C. coluteoides. One is the usually pubescent, primarily meso-American group that includes C. indecora and C. ovalifolia, with smaller flowers and shorter pedicels than C. coluteoides and undoubtedly other distinctive criteria. Another may be C. oblongifolia Vog. (C. corymbosa var. plurijuga Benth.) with 6-7 pairs leaflets, the distal narrower than proximal, and possibly compressed pods. More detailed study is required to clarify the status of these intricately related groups. Cassia coluteoides (as C. bicapsularis) is commercially available, considerably planted and casually escaped in both California and Florida. It is sometimes said to be scandent but is not a true climber though the branches and inflorescence may trail on the ground or lean on other vegetation.
-
Distribution
Florida where common, Texas, probably also in s portion of intermediate states, urban California. Cult, ornamental and naturalized. Disturbed or ruderal areas, roadsides, along streams. Oct.-Dec.(-Feb.), secondarily March-May. South America, introduced elsewhere in New and Old World tropics.
United States of America North America| South America|