Cassia angolensis Welw. ex Hiern

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Ecology

Africa: Zanzibar-Inhambane regional transition zone; forest, Zambezian forest

Morphology General Habit

Perennial, Not climbing, Tree

Leguminosae, J. B. Gillett, R. M. Polhill & B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1971

Morphology General Habit

Tree 6–25 m. high, in most ways very similar to C. mannii.

Morphology Branches

Young branchlets puberulous to subglabrous.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves with petiole and rhachis eglandular, the latter up to 30 cm. long. Leaflets up to 13 pairs, emarginate at apex, glabrous or almost so, without pubescent margins, otherwise as in C. mannii.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes as in C. mannii except for being somewhat more pubescent and with bracts sometimes persistent till the flowers open.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals golden-yellow, 2–3.0 cm. long, (1.1–, fide F.C.B.)1.5–2.0 cm. wide; flowers otherwise as in C. mannii.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods up to 70 cm. long, similar to those of C. mannii.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds brown, ellipsoid to obovoid, compressed, 8–10 × 5–9 × 6 mm., transversely cracked.

Habitat

Lowland rain-forest; 820–1070 m.

Distribution

T3 T6 T8

Leguminosae, R.K. Brummitt, A.C. Chikuni, J.M. Lock and R.M. Polhill. Flora Zambesiaca 3:2. 2007

Distribution

Also in Angola, Tanzania and D.R. Congo.

Ecology

Forest, dense thicket on Kalahari sands;850–1500 m.

Morphology General Habit

Tree to 20 m tall; bark smooth, grey.

Morphology Branches

Branchlets very dark brown to almost black, longitudinally furrowed, pubescent to sparsely pubescent, glabrescent.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves paripinnate; stipules not seen, very early caducous; petiole 1.6–2 cm long, sparsely pubescent; rachis 9–14(18) cm long,>i> sparsely pubescent; petiolules 1–3 mm long;>i> leaflets opposite to subopposite, in 7–9 pairs,>i> discolorous, 2.8–6.2 × 1.5–2.8 cm, ovate to ovate-elliptic,>i> symmetrical,>i> apex rounded or (usually) retuse, base rounded to broadly cuneate, glabrous;>i> venation slightly prominent on both surfaces.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences axillary and terminal, racemose; axis puberulous; bracts and bracteoles not seen, presumably early caducous; pedicels (2.5)5–8 cm long, longitudinally ridged when dry, sparsely pubescent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx lobes 5, 12–15 × 5–8 mm, ovate to elliptic, sparsely puberulous near the base outside, glabrous inside.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals yellow, 28–30 × 16–27 mm, broadly elliptic.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens 10; 3 with filaments c.40 mm long, glabrous, sigmoidally curved near the base, without a median swelling, anthers c.5 mm long; 4 with straight filaments 10–15 mm long, anthers 5 mm long; 3 with filaments 12–15 mm long, curved towards the apex, anthers 3 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary multiovulate, c.50 mm long and 2 mm in diameter, flattened-filiform, almost glabrous but very sparsely pubescent near the base; stigma terminal, recessed.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod black, up to 70 cm long, 1.5–2 cm in diameter, terete, glabrous, many-seeded.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds buff, shiny, 8–9 × 5–6 × 4–5 mm, ellipsoidal, somewhat flattened, not embedded in pulp.