Cassia (genus)

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Cassia
Starr 030702-0030 Cassia javanica.jpg
Cassia javanica
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subtribe: Cassiinae
Genus: Cassia
L.
Species

Hundreds; see text

Synonyms [1]
  • BactyrilobiumWilld. 1809
  • Cassia sect. FistulaDC. ex Colladon 1816
  • Cassia subgen. Fistula(DC.) Benth. 1870
  • Cassiasensu Link 1831
  • Cassia subgen. vel sect. Fistulasensu Benth. 1871
  • Cassia subgen. Cassiasensu De Wit 1955
  • Cassiasensu Irwin & Barneby 1981
  • CassianaRaf. 1818
  • CathartocarpusPers. 1805 (pro parte)

Cassia is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae, and the subfamily Caesalpinioideae. Species are known commonly as cassias. Cassia is also the English common name of some species in the genus Cinnamomum of the family Lauraceae. Species of the genera Senna and Chamaecrista were previously included in Cassia. Cassia now generally includes the largest species of the legume subtribe Cassiinae, usually mid-sized trees.

Contents

Ecology

Cassia fistula Cassia.jpg
Cassia fistula

Cassia species occur in a range of climates. Some can be utilized widely as ornamental plants. They have been used in reforestation projects, and species from desert climates can be used to prevent desertification.

Cassia species are used as food plants by the caterpillars of many lepidopteran taxa. For example, the skipper Astraptes fulgerator and the pierids Catopsilia pomona and C. pyranthe are all seen on Cassia fistula . The latter utilizes several other cassias, as well.

The plant pathogenic viruses cassia yellow blotch bromovirus and cassia yellow spot potyvirus were first described from Cassia.

Uses

Cassia sieberiana fruits Cassia sieberiana MHNT.BOT.2004.0.224.jpg
Cassia sieberiana fruits

Because the name Cassia is not precise, it is sometimes difficult to know what is meant by references to plants known as "cassias". Cassia gum, for example, is made from Senna obtusifolia , a species formerly included in genus Cassia.

Genera Cassia and Senna are both known in systems of traditional medicine. Cassia fistula , for example, is used in Ayurvedic medicine.[ citation needed ]

There exists some culinary use for cassias. The fruit of some species is edible. In Central America, its pods are stewed into a molasses-like syrup, taken as a sweetener and for its nutritional and medicinal effects. Some have toxins in their seeds, however.

Systematics and taxonomy

There are hundreds of Cassia species, but it is unclear just how many. One estimate stands at 692. [2] The genus was a wastebasket taxon for a long time, used to classify plants that did not fit well anywhere else. Over 1000 species have belonged to Cassia over the years. [3] Many taxa have since been transferred to more appropriate genera, such as Senna.

Species

Cassia comprises the following species: [3] [4] [5]

Cassia occidentalis Cassia occidentalis in Anantgiri, AP W2 IMG 8828.jpg
Cassia occidentalis

Species names with uncertain taxonomic status

The status of the following species is unresolved: [5]

  • Cassia acacalisRoyle
  • Cassia acispermaSchrank ex Colla
  • Cassia adenopodaMiq.
  • Cassia aegyptiacaWilld.
  • Cassia aethiopicaGuibourt
  • Cassia afzelianaVogel
  • Cassia amarahort. ex Gentil
  • Cassia amoenaBuch.-Ham.
  • Cassia apricaVell.
  • Cassia aristatella(Pennell) Cory
  • Cassia arowanaM.R.Schomb.
  • Cassia artemisiifoliaR.Br.
  • Cassia artensisBeauvis.
  • Cassia atroreticulataChiov.
  • Cassia augustisiliquaChapm.
  • Cassia auritaCollad.
  • Cassia barrenfieldiiColla
  • Cassia batramensisSteud.
  • Cassia bequaertiDe Wild.
  • Cassia berryanaVoigt
  • Cassia bifoliaPers. ex Pittier
  • Cassia biforaL.
  • Cassia bonariensisColla
  • Cassia bonplandiaRojas Acosta
  • Cassia brachystachysHarms ex Glaz.
  • Cassia bracteosaLassen
  • Cassia bracteosaWelw. ex W.Bull
  • Cassia brewsteri(F. Muell.) F. Muell. ex Benth.
  • Cassia buchananiKostel
  • Cassia buchananiiKostel.
  • Cassia bulbotrichaTaub. ex Glaz.
  • Cassia burmanniWall.
  • Cassia burmanniWight
  • Cassia burmanniiDC.
  • Cassia cafesianaRojas
  • Cassia canaliculataR.Br.
  • Cassia carringtonianaTorre
  • Cassia castiglioniaCollad.
  • Cassia chinensisLam.
  • Cassia ciliarisCollad.
  • Cassia confusaPhil.
  • Cassia coymbosaOrtega
  • Cassia cruikshanksiiHook. & Arn.
  • Cassia cyclophoraBoivin ex Ghesq.
  • Cassia darmiensVell.
  • Cassia decipiensDesv.
  • Cassia decipiensGriseb.
  • Cassia delagoensisHarv.
  • Cassia deplancheiBenth.
  • Cassia dispermaVell.
  • Cassia droogmansianaDe Wild.
  • Cassia eglandulosaDum.Cours.
  • Cassia ehrenbergiiBisch.
  • Cassia elongataLemaire-Lis.
  • Cassia fastuosaWilld. ex Vogel
  • Cassia fieldiiColla
  • Cassia fikifiki Aubrév. & Pellegr.
  • Cassia fimbriataNoronha
  • Cassia floriferaHerrera
  • Cassia fluminensisVell.
  • Cassia forsanHarms ex Hoehne
  • Cassia forskaliiRoyle
  • Cassia fraseriA.Cunn. ex Vogel
  • Cassia gamaensisGlaz.
  • Cassia glanduliferaReinw. ex Steud.
  • Cassia glandulifloraReinw. ex Blume
  • Cassia gracillimaBenth.
  • Cassia gracillimaWelw.
  • Cassia graniticaBaker f.
  • Cassia graveolensColla
  • Cassia guineensisG.Don
  • Cassia gygophylloidesTaub.
  • Cassia heptantheraF.Muell.
  • Cassia heterolobaT.L.Mitch. ex Lindl.
  • Cassia heterophyllaWalp.
  • Cassia hibbertianaSteud.
  • Cassia hirtaWilld.
  • Cassia homophyllaHoffmanns.
  • Cassia hornemanniiDC.
  • Cassia ilidoreaBenth.
  • Cassia indochinensis(Gagnep.) V.Singh
  • Cassia javanica subsp. bartonii(Bailey) K. Larsen
  • Cassia kethulleanaDe Wild.
  • Cassia ketschtaHasselq.
  • Cassia kituiensisVatke
  • Cassia kuhlmanniiHoehne
  • Cassia kuntzeiHosseus
  • Cassia kuntziiHosseus
  • Cassia lancifoliaColla
  • Cassia laxifloraBenth.
  • Cassia lenitivaBisch.
  • Cassia leschenaultiiWall.
  • Cassia leucoxylonKlotzsch
  • Cassia ligustrinoidesSchrank
  • Cassia longifoliaSteud.
  • Cassia lucidaDehnh.
  • Cassia mariquitensisMutis
  • Cassia medicaForssk.
  • Cassia medicaVell.
  • Cassia medicinalisBisch.
  • Cassia milleriCollad.
  • Cassia mimosaNoronha
  • Cassia modosaBuch.-Ham.
  • Cassia mornicolaUrb.
  • Cassia multisiliquaJ.F. Gmel.
  • Cassia myriophyllaWall.
  • Cassia neocaledonicaVieill. ex Guillaumin
  • Cassia nummulariaVahl ex DC.
  • Cassia obtusataHayne
  • Cassia oocarpaBaker
  • Cassia oppositifoliaGlaz.
  • Cassia orientalisPers.
  • Cassia ornithopodioidesSteud.
  • Cassia ovataMérat & Lens ex Geiger
  • Cassia pachycalyxVogel
  • Cassia palmataWall.
  • Cassia pancheriVieill. ex Guillaumin
  • Cassia papulosaHoffmanns.
  • Cassia parvifloraSessé & Moc.
  • Cassia parvifoliaWender.
  • Cassia pencanaPhil.
  • Cassia peruvianaVogel
  • Cassia pilidensSteud.
  • Cassia pinnataVoigt
  • Cassia pistaciaefoliaKunth
  • Cassia platypodaR.Br.
  • Cassia polyaduraFawc. & Rendle
  • Cassia porturegalensisBancr. ex Macfad.
  • Cassia pseudo-nictitansHance
  • Cassia pulcherrimaDehnh.
  • Cassia purgansSteud.
  • Cassia quadrifloraVogel
  • Cassia ramifloraVogel
  • Cassia ramosissimaKunth
  • Cassia riedeliiBenth.
  • Cassia robinioidesWilld.
  • Cassia rogeoniiGhesq.
  • Cassia roxburghianaGraham
  • Cassia rupicolaBenth.
  • Cassia rusaM.Martens & Galeotti
  • Cassia ruscifoliaJacq.
  • Cassia sabakDelile
  • Cassia sageraLam.
  • Cassia saltianaSteud.
  • Cassia schimperiSteud.
  • Cassia schinifoliaA.DC.
  • Cassia schomburgkiiKlotzsch ex Schomburgk
  • Cassia schultesiiColla
  • Cassia selerocarpaVogel
  • Cassia sieberiC.Presl
  • Cassia simplicifoliaDesv.
  • Cassia sinensisJ.F. Gmel.
  • Cassia solimoesensisH.S.Irwin
  • Cassia sophoraCollad.
  • Cassia stuhlmanniiTaub.
  • Cassia surinamensisDehnh.
  • Cassia tardaNoronha
  • Cassia taubertianaHarms
  • Cassia teretifoliaR.Cunn. ex Lindl.
  • Cassia teretiusculaF.Muell.
  • Cassia tetrafoliataDesv.
  • Cassia tettensisBolle
  • Cassia thunbergianaBlume ex Miq.
  • Cassia tolaL.
  • Cassia tortiramisPittier
  • Cassia torulosaPoir.
  • Cassia transversali-seminataDe Wild.
  • Cassia tuberculataCollad.
  • Cassia tulaDesv. ex Steud.
  • Cassia uleiH. Irwin & D. Rogers
  • Cassia umbellataBertol.
  • Cassia umbellataRchb.
  • Cassia unicaSchery
  • Cassia ursinoidesHarms ex Luetzelb.
  • Cassia vernicifoliaTaub.
  • Cassia viciaefoliaBenth.
  • Cassia vulgarisRoxb. ex Steud.
  • Cassia xanthocomaMiq.

Hybrids

The following hybrids have been described: [5]

Cassia xnealiae Starr 020628-0019 Cassia x nealiae.jpg
Cassia ×nealiae
  • Cassia ×corymbosaLarrañaga
  • Cassia ×desolataF.Muell.
  • Cassia ×floribundaCav.
  • Cassia ×homophyllaHoffmanns.
  • Cassia ×hybridaTen.
  • Cassia ×lancasteri
  • Cassia ×luersseniiDomin
  • Cassia ×nealiaeH.S.Irwin & Barneby—rainbow shower tree (=Cassia fistulaL. × Cassia javanicaL.)
  • Cassia ×regiaStandl.
  • Cassia ×sturtiiR.Br.

See also

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References

  1. Irwin HS, Barneby RC (1982). The American Cassiinae: A synoptical revision of Leguminosae tribe Cassieae subtribe Casiinae in the New World, Part 1 (PDF). Bronx, N.Y.: New York Botanical Garden. OCLC   8553234. b1010840.
  2. Frodin DG (2004). "History and concepts of big plant genera". Taxon . 53 (3): 753–776. doi:10.2307/4135449. JSTOR   4135449.
  3. 1 2 "ILDIS LegumeWeb entry for Cassia". International Legume Database & Information Service. Cardiff School of Computer Science & Informatics. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  4. USDA; ARS; National Genetic Resources Program. "GRIN species records of Cassia". Germplasm Resources Information Network—(GRIN) [Online Database]. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 "The Plant List entry for Cassia". The Plant List . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and the Missouri Botanical Garden. 2013. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  6. "Cassia brewsteri". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  7. "Cassia fistula". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 15 December 2017.