41. CÁSSIA, Tourn. Senna.
Sepals 5, scarcely united at base. Petals 5, little unequal, spreading. Stamens 5–10, unequal, and some of them often imperfect, spreading; anthers opening by 2 pores or chinks at the apex. Pod many-seeded, often with cross partitions.—Herbs (in the United States), with simply and abruptly pinnate leaves, and mostly yellow flowers. (An ancient name of obscure derivation.)
[*] Leaflets large; stipules deciduous; the three upper anthers deformed and imperfect; flowers in short axillary racemes, the upper ones panicled; herbage glabrous.
1. C. Marilándica, L. (Wild Senna.) Stem 3–4° high; leaflets 6–9 pairs, lanceolate-oblong, obtuse; petiole with a club-shaped gland near the base; pods linear, slightly curved, flat, at first hairy (2–4´ long); root perennial.—Alluvial soil, N. Eng. to Fla., west to Mich., S. E. Neb., Kan., and La.
2. C. Tòra, L. Annual; leaflets 3 or rarely 2 pairs, obovate, obtuse, with an elongated gland between those of the lower pairs or lowest pair; pods slender, 6´ long, curved. (C. obtusifolia, L.)—River-banks, S. Va. to Fla., west to S. Ind., Mo., and Ark.
C. occidentàlis, L. Annual; leaflets 4–6 pairs, ovate-lanceolate, acute; an ovate gland at the base of the petiole; pods long linear (5´ long) with a tumid border, glabrous.—Va., S. Ind., and southward. (Adv. from Trop. Amer.)
[*][*] Leaflets small, somewhat sensitive to the touch; stipules striate, persistent; a cup-shaped gland beneath the lowest pair of leaflets; anthers all perfect; flowers in small clusters above the axils; pods flat; root annual.
3. C. Chamæcrísta, L. (Partridge Pea.) Stems spreading (1° long); leaflets 10–15 pairs, linear-oblong, oblique at the base; flowers (large) on slender pedicels, 2 or 3 of the showy yellow petals often with a purple spot at base; anthers 10, elongated, unequal (4 of them yellow, the others purple); style slender.—Sandy fields; common, especially southward.
4. C. níctitans, L. (Wild Sensitive-plant.) Leaflets 10–20 pairs, oblong-linear; flowers (very small) on very short pedicels; anthers 5, nearly equal; style short.—Sandy fields, N. Eng. to Fla., west to Ind., Kan., and La.
42. HOFFMANSÉGGIA, Cav.