Cassia adenophora

  • Title

    Cassia adenophora

  • Authors

    Howard S. Irwin, Rupert C. Barneby

  • Scientific Name

    Cassia adenophora Harms

  • Description

    59.  Cassia adenophora Harms in Feddes Repert. 20: 127. 1924. — "Brasilien: Goyaz, Pichoa, campo, pres de I'Espigoa (Glaziou n. 20955; 1894/95)." — Holotypus, †B = F Neg. 1644! clastotypus (fragm), F! neoholotypus, former isotypus, G! isotypi, C, K = IPA Neg. 1136, LE, P, S!

    Undershrubs with few simple stems erect from a xylopodium 3-6 dm, except for upper lf-face glandular-villosulous and -setulose throughout, the basally leafless stems and young foliage ± viscous, the fls solitary in upper lf-axils immersed in lvs.

    Stipules erect, linear-subulate, firm, greenish, 2-5 mm, persistent.

    Lvs ascending at narrow angles to vertical, disregarding the earliest 6-11.5 cm, short- petioled; pulvinus scarcely dilated and little differentiated, 1-1.5 mm; petiole 8-15 mm, narrowly sulcate ventrally; rachis (2-)3.5-9 cm; lfts tilted a little forward from rachis on pulvinule 0.6-1 mm, not conspicuously or closely imbricate when pressed, 7-15 (of early lvs only 3-6) pairs, scarcely decrescent upward, in outline varying from elliptic to oblanceolate, ovate, or narrowly obovate, 7-21 x 2.5-8 mm, obtuse but mucronate or apiculate by the excurrent costa (some broad lfts of lowest lvs sometimes emarginate), at oblique base rounded to broadly cuneate on proximal, cuneate on distal side, the blades firmly chartaceous, brown-olivaceous dull, concolorous, inconspicuously papillate, glabrous above, charged beneath with scattered glandular setules, sessile glands, or both, the plane entire margin setulose-fimbriolate, the costa and ± 4 pairs of secondary nerves faintly raised above, prominulous beneath.

    Inflorescence reduced to solitary fls arising from axils of 2-6 uppermost lvs, these more than twice as long as the subtended pedicel; pedicels ascending, 2.6-3 cm, bracteolate mostly near middle, 1.2-1.7 cm below calyx, rarely higher; buds plumply ovoid, apiculate, setulose; sepals submembranous, yellowish and probably when fresh red-tinged, ovate-elliptic subacute or the broader inner ones obtuse, 10-12 x 3.7-6 mm; petals yellow 1.5-1.8 cm, 4 cuneate-flabellate up to 8-10 mm wide, the fifth one asymmetrically obovate, slightly longer. Ovary densely setulose-hirtellous; ovules 6-7.

    Pod oblong, nearly straight, 2.8-4 x 0.6 cm, the valves at first green becoming stiffly chartaceous, castaneous, thinly villosulous and densely hispid with yellow-based setae; seeds (little known) compressed-pyriform, ±5 x 2.5 mm, the testa ochraceous, lustrous, engraved with minute shallow pits aligned into irregular vertical ranks. — Collections: 5.

    Cerrado and rocky campo, 1100-1125 m, known only from the Federal District and immediately adjoining Goias. — Fl. X-XII.