Cassia bakeriana

Primary tabs

Cassia bakeriana

Description

Tree up to 10 m high; all young parts densely pubescent. Leaves with 5-7 pairs of leaflets; stipules narrow-lanceolate, pointed towards both ends, attached in the middle; petiole 2-4 cm long, light brownish pubescent as the 15-40 cm long rachis. Flowers large (the largest flowers of any Cassia in the region), on a 6 cm long, thinly pubescent pedicel, more densely hairy in a ring just below the calyx. Sepals ovate-lanceolate with acute apex, 9-12 by 2-3 mm, hairy on both sides. Petals ovate lanceolate, pinkish, 3.5-4.5 by 1-2.5 cm, claw narrow, c. 5 mm long. Stamens: 3 long with filaments 3.5-5 cm, swollen in the middle, anthers 5 mm long, ovoid, opening by apical and basal slits; 4 with filaments half the length but with anthers nearly twice as long, also opening by slits; reduced stamens 3, small, with filaments 1-1.5 cm long and very small anthers. Ovary whitish pubescent, recurved, c. 4 cm long, on a 1-1.5 cm long stipe; stigma subapical, punctiform. Seeds 30-40, separated by spongy septa.

Distribution

Asia-Tropical: New Guinea present; Thailand (Thailand present), Burma present, West Malaysia present
Endemic to Burma and Thailand. Introduced as ornamental in e.g. West Malaysia and New Guinea, also elsewhere, but evidently not common.

Taxonomy

A hybrid between Cassia bakeriana and C. fistula has yellowish pink flowers. It is cultivated in West Malaysia under the name 'Rainbow Shower'.

Citation

Verdc. 1979 – In: Manual New Guinea Leg., Lae Bot. Bull.: 38
de Wit 1956 – In: Webbia: 205
K. & S.S. Larsen 1984 – In: Fl. Thailand: 105.