Cassia duartei

  • Title

    Cassia duartei

  • Authors

    Howard S. Irwin, David J. Rogers

  • Scientific Name

    Cassia duartei H.S.Irwin

  • Description

    1. Cassia duartei Irwin, nom. nov. Fig. 42.

    Cassia ramiflora Vog. var. bijuga Vog. Gen. Cass. Syn. 48. 1832. in part. Isosyntvpes (BR, G, MO) examined: Brazil, Bahia, "Arbor 50 ped. Flor. aureaus." Luschnath 135 w/o date (BM, G, K): "Brasilia." Sello s.n. w/o date (collected in Brazil 1815-1817 = C. ramiflora var. ramiflora in the present treatment) .

    Cassia apoucouita Aubl. var. floribunda Benth. in Martius FI. Bras. 15(2) : 130. 1870. Holotype (K) examined: Brazil, Bahia, "in sylvis caeduis prope Ilheos." Martius 721. 1841. Isotypes (BR, G, MO. NY, S).

    Tree to 20 m tall. Branchlets glabrous, striate, with scattered longitudinally oriented lenticels. Axillary buds in longitudinal files of 3-5. Leaves apparently estipulate. Petiole angulate, 8-15(-18) cm long, terminating with a bristle 0.5-1.0 mm long, glabrous or puberulent at base; pulvinis cylindrical, tuberculate, puberulent or occasionally glabrous, 5-8 mm long. Petiolar glands between or immediately below petiolule pairs, the lowest largest, patelliform or oblong-crateriform, sessile and often impressed. Leaflets 2—4 pairs, 12—16 cm long, the distal pair commonly largest, narrowly ovate to ovate, base cuneate to obtuse, apex acute to acuminate, the petiolule 2-5 mm long. Racemes 2-4 per node, occurring in leafy portion of branchlet, often congested and suggesting a terminal panicle; peduncle puberulent to velutinous; peduncular glands less than 1 mm in diameter and less than 1 mm high, sometimes obscure. Bracts deciduous; pedicels 0.5-1.5 cm long, velutinous; bracteoles triangular, opposite to 1 mm distant from each other, 4-8 mm below hypanthium, puberulent to tomentose. Calyx (including hypanthium) 7-11 mm in diameter; sepals 2-5 mm long, puberulent to tomentose; petals 6-12 (-18) mm long, puberulent to velutinous at base without and along veins; filaments to 0.5 mm long; anthers 3-4(-6) mm long, puberulent to tomentose, the vesture general or restricted to margins of sutures; pistil 8-18 mm long, velutinous to tomentose. Pod not known.

    Distribution (Fig. 43): Eastern Brazil, from Salvador, Bahia, southward to Espírito Santo and westward, probably into Minas Gerais.

    This species stands apart from all others in section Apoucouita by having the inflorescences borne well up in the foliate portion of branchlets in the present species. The file of 3 to 5 buds at each node contributes to heavy production of the rather small flowers.

    Although Vogel indicated that C. ramiflora var. trijuga was based on "Sello et Luschnath pr. Rio Jan.," he gave no indication of the specimens from which the other two varieties were described. However, it is likely that Sello and Luschnath material formed the bases for all of Vogel’s varieties of that species. Of the four or five collections evidently involved, Luschnath 135 is quite unlike the others, differing in the characters presented here. In the skyline plot (Fig. 38) it may be seen that no. 118 (Luschnath 135) is well removed from no. 167 (Sello s.n., syntype of C. ramiflora var. bijuga Vog.) as well as from nos. 166 (Sello s.n., type of C. ramiflora var. ramiflora) and 168 [Sello s.n., (syn)type of C. ramiflora a var. trijuga Vog.] It may also be seen in the skyline plot that no. 135 (Martius 721, basis of Bentham’s C. apoucouita var. floribunda) is closely related to no. 118.

    Blanchet 2152 is referred here but varies in having longer leaves and at least some scutellate, somewhat elevated petiolar glands.

    BRAZIL, BAHIA: w/o locality, 1834 or 1835, J. Blanchet 2152 (G, NY); w/o locality, w/o date (Nom. vulg.: "Verga d’anta"), G. Bondar s.n. (F); Km 22, Ramal da RB5 para Porto Seguro. 19 November 1962, A.P. Duarte 8014 (NY, RB); "Ilheos.'' 18 November 1837, Luschnath 719 (BR); "In sylvis caeduis prope Ilheos." Martius 721 (BR, G, K. MO. NY, S') ; "In sylv. locis aren. pr. Almada." April 1822. Riedel 687 (RB, US).