Nice to have such eye-openers, Gurcharan ji. Am sure those studying these *Cassia* and *Senna* plants will share their views. Regards. Dinesh
On Sun, Dec 11, 2011 at 4:01 PM, Gurcharan Singh <[email protected]> wrote: > Dear friends > The confusion between Senna pallida (Cassia biflora L.) perhaps not as > simple as we thought. The confusion started with several websites treating > two as synonyms, giving the impression that perhaps two are very close and > as such we have separated many plants with shrubby habit and lesser number > of leaflets as Senna pallida and one more or less tree like habit and more > than 7 leaflets as Senna polyphylla. > > After going though various reliable sources I came to know than Senna > polyphylla is very distinct from Senna pallida. > > *Senna pallida (syn Cassia biflora L.)* Small shrub up to 3.5 m tall, > stems slender; leaf stalk with two orange dots on petiole, base of petiole > and leaflets swollen at base; leaf 5-6 cm long, leaflets 4-7 pairs, 2-3 cm > long, 1.5 cm broad, widest near apex, base and apex rounded, veins obscure; > flowers bright yellow , 3 cm across, in pairs on 2 cm long pedecels; fruit > dry, flattened, 6-8 cm long, 3-5 mm broad, repeated x pattern on surface. > > http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Fabaceae/Cassia_biflora.html > > http://intermountainbiota.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=28361 > > > http://books.google.co.in/books?id=e-d0p54_KSYC&pg=PT401&lpg=PT401&dq=Cassia+biflora+plants+of+costa+rica&source=bl&ots=9oPAXTbp-8&sig=LNWZlrVykQZzXGuNO3kAr8Jr3jM&hl=en&ei=XoXkToOhJMnQrQfknfiDCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&sqi=2&ved=0CDsQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q&f=false > > > Senna polyphylla: Desert cassia Shrub or small tree: often 5 m tall; > leaves often clustered 3-5 together at each node; leaflets 3-15 pairs, 5-10 > mm long; flowers yellow 3.8 cm across, axillary racemes of two flowers; pod > 8-15 cm long, slightly contorted, flattened between seeds. > > http://www.fs.fed.us/global/iitf/pdf/shrubs/Senna%20polyphylla.pdf > > http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Senna_polyphylla > > Looking at smaller size of leaflets and leaves more or clustered it > appears that photographs uploaded recently under both names actually all > belong to Senna polyphylla and we may have to still locate true specimens > of Senna pallida like we are still looking for Senna surattensis. > > Your views onj this please > > -- > Dr. Gurcharan Singh > Retired Associate Professor > SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007 > Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018. > Phone: 011-25518297 Mob: 9810359089 > http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/ > >
