Volume 4 > Part 1 > Year 1984 > Page 103 > Leguminosae-Caesalpinioideae > Cassia

1. Cassia fistula L.wfo-0000163802

Sp. Pl.: 377. 1753; Baker in Hook.f., Fl. Br. Ind. 2: 261. 1878; Gagnep. in Fl. Gén. I.-C. 2: 159. 1913; Craib in Fl. Siam. En. 1: 509. 1928; de Wit, Webbia 11: 207. 1955; K.Larsen & S.S.Larsen in Fl. C.L.V. 18: 79. 1980. Fig. 26: 14. Plate III, 4.

Accepted Name : This is currently accepted.

Description : Tree, rarely above 10–15 m high with glabrous branches. Leaves with 3–8 pairs of leaflets, large. Petioles 7–10 cm; rhachis 15–25 cm. Leaflets ovate-oblong, 7–12 by 4–8 cm, glabrous when mature; petiolules 5–10 mm. Stipules small, caduceus. Racemes axillary, few together, pendent, lax, 20–40 cm long. Pedicels glabrous, 15–35 mm. Bracts 8–10 mm long, caduceus. Sepals ovatc-elliptic, velutinous outside, 7–10 mm long. Petals yellow, ovate, 30–35 by 10–15 mm, subequal, short-clawed. Stamens 10; 3 long ones with filaments 3 cm long, anthers 5 mm long opening by apical and basal slits; 4 shorter with filaments 8–10 mm long, anthers opening by a basal pore; reduced stamens 3 with filament 5 mm long and minute anthers. Ovary and style velutinous; stigma small. Pods terete, glabrous, black, 20–60 cm long, 1.5–2 cm diam., with numerous seeds separated by spongy septa. Seeds elliptic, flattened, glossy brown, 8–9 by 5 mm.

Thailand : All over the country, often planted as an ornamental.

Distribution : Probably native of India (type), Ceylon and Malesia (Java ?, Celebes), at an early date spread to China and Egypt and later throughout the tropics mainly as an ornamental but also for medical purposes.

Ecology : Frequent in mixed deciduous forests, scattered in dry deciduous dipterocarp forests.

Vernacular : Lom laeng (ลมแล้ง)(Northern); chaiyapruk (ชัยพฤกษ์), ratchaphruk (ราชพฤกษ์), khun (คูน)(Central); ratchaphrik (ราชพริก)(Southeastern); lak khoei lalc klua (ลักเคยลักเกลือ)(Peninsular); poe-so (เปอโซ), pue-ya (บึยยะ), pu-yo (ปูโย), mae-la-yu (แมะหล่าหยู่)(Karen-Northern); ku-phe-ya (กุเพยะ)(Karen-Southwestern).

CommonName : Golden shower, Indian laburnum, Pudding-pipc tree.

Uses: Timber used locally; pods harvested for medical purposes (laxative).