Fabaceae
Cassia

Cassia fistula L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 377 (1753)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Indian Subcontinent to Myanmar. It is a tree and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome. It is has environmental uses and social uses, as animal food, a poison and a medicine and for fuel and food.

Descriptions

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Amazonia, Andean, Caribbean, Orinoquia. Elevation range: 0–1470 m a.s.l. Cultivated in Colombia. Naturalised in Colombia. Colombian departments: Amazonas, Antioquia, Atlántico, Casanare, Córdoba, Cundinamarca, Magdalena, Tolima, Valle del Cauca.
Habit
Tree.
Conservation
IUCN Red List Assessment (2021): LC.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, savanna, shrubland, wetlands (inland), artificial - terrestrial.
Vernacular
Cañafístula, Golden shower
[UPFC]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Tree
Morphology Leaves
Leaves eglandular; leaflets 3–6(–8) pairs, acute or bluntly pointed, minutely puberulous beneath
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes lax, pendulous, 1–3 together, 15–60 cm long; bracts caducous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals yellow, c. 2–3 cm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pods cylindrical, 20–50 x 1.5–2.5 cm, black, indehiscent, with hard woody walls.
Distribution
At least in S2 and S3 native of tropical Asia.
Vernacular
Golden shower, Indian laburnum (English).
[FSOM]

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular
acacia, acacia lluvia de oro, cañafístola, cañafístula, cañafístulo, cañandonga, cañandunga, chorro de oro, floramarillo, lluvia de oro, lluvia de verano, matarratón extranjero
[UNAL]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Ecology
Africa: Cultivated
Morphology General Habit
Perennial, Not climbing, Tree
Vernacular
Aehaela-gaha, Ahalla-gass, Amaltas, Bandarlauri, Baton Casse, Butor, Canafistol, Canafistola, Canafistula, Canafistula Mansa, Canefice, Caneficier, Casse, Casse Espagnole, Casse Medicinale, Casse-habitant, Cassia Stick Tree, Cassia-Stick Tree, Cassie, Cha
[ILDIS]

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds Protein Content

19.80% Entire seed/nut. Moisture content not stated (Barclay & Earle, 1974)

[SID]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/136142327/136142329

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Nativa y cultivada en Colombia; Alt. 0 - 1470 m.; Amazonia, Andes, Llanura del Caribe, Orinoquia, Valle del Cauca, Valle del Magdalena.
Morphology General Habit
Árbol
Conservation
No Evaluada
[CPLC]

Uses

Use Animal Food
Used as animal food.
Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
Use Fuel
Used for fuels.
Use Food
Used for food.
Use Materials
Used as material.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
Use Poisons
Poisons.
Use Social
Social uses.
[UPFC]

Use
Cultivated as an ornamental
[FSOM]

Use
Chemical products, Domestic, Environmental, Food and Drink, Medicine, Miscellaneous, Wood
[ILDIS]

Common Names

English
Golden Shower Tree

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • International Legume Database and Information Service

    • International Legume Database and Information Service (ILDIS) V10.39 Nov 2011
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Living Collection Database

    • Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Seed Information Database

    • Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. (2019) Seed Information Database (SID). Version 7.1. Available from: http://data.kew.org/sid/ (September 2019)
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • World Checklist of Vascular plants (WCVP)

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0