Cassia occidentalis L.

• 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

  Cassia occidentalis L.

• Description

  
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  Species Description - Robust or diminutive, glabrous, malodorous, usually annual herb, 5 cm to l(-3) m. Leafstalk .8-2 dm with l(-2) dome-shaped glands at base of petiole; leaflets 4-5 pairs, slightly petioluled, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, larger distally, 3-8 cm with us (larger in tropics), 2-2.8 r; blades inconspicuously punctate, ciliate (magnification). Stipules subulate, more or less falcate, 1-2 cm. Flowers in 1-5 flowered axillary racemes, common axis 0-6 cm, the racemes sometimes congested in terminal, narrow, naked or leafy panicles. Bracts semipersistent, acute or acuminate, 8-15 mm. Pedicels initially ascending, recurved just before anthesis (and buds nodding), later ascending, ca 1 cm, to 2 cm in fruit; sepals unequal, the longer ca 1 cm; corolla yellow, 2.5-3 cm; functional stamens 6-7, 2-3 longest. Legume scarcely dehiscent, persistent, oblong-falcate, compressed, 8-14 cm long, 6-8 mm wide; valves thick-papery, transversely expressed over seeds, brown, with a broad light-colored margin, internally transversely septate. Seeds several-numerous.

• Discussion

  Ditremexa occidentalis (L.) Britt. 8c Rose (1924) CNn = 14 (Irwin and Turner, 1960; Turner, 1956; Gupta and Gupta, 1971) and others, n = 13 (Bir & Sidhu, 1966; Muto, 1929). Cassia occidentalis is now primarily a weedy inhabitant of the human environment in warm regions of the world. Its original distribution is uncertain and I am doubtful that it is native to the United States. It has miscellaneous minor economic uses in the tropics, particularly of medical nature. Both Old and New World reports are among some half dozen chromosome number determinations of n = 14; n = 13 readings are of Old World origin.

• Distribution

  Gulf coastal plain, Florida and s Georgia to Texas; occasional, Oklahoma to North Carolina, a few records further n in cult, or as a waif. Disturbed and ruderal areas: agricultural soil and a weed, abandoned or unfilled farmland, pastures, urban waste places, roadside ditches, usually moist soil, often abundant and conspicuous. Novelty in cult., occasionally under glass. July-Sept. or all year in extreme s. Coffee weed. American tropics, presently distributed and weedy in tropics and warm region