Cassia

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Rosids
Cladus: Eurosids I
Ordo: Fabales

Familia: Fabaceae
Subfamilia: Caesalpinioideae
Tribus: Cassieae
Subtribus: Cassiinae
Genus: Cassia
Species: C. abbreviata - C. afrofistula - C. aubrevillei - C. bakeriana - C. barclayana - C. brewsteri - C. cowanii – C. duartei – C. eremophila – C. fastuosa - C. ferruginea - C. fistula - C. grandis - C. hammersleyensis - C. javanica - C. leiandra - C. leptophylla - C. lineata - C. marksiana – C. moschata - C. × nealiae - C. neesiana - C. roxburghii - C. sieberiana - C. spruceana

Name

Cassia L., 1: 376. 1753.

Type species: Cassia fistula L.
Synonyms

Homotypic
Bactyrilobium Willd., Enum. Pl. Horti Berol. 439. 1809.
Cassiana Raf., Amer. Monthly Mag. & Crit. Rev. 2: 266. 1818.
Heterotypic
Cathartocarpus Pers., Syn. Pl. 1: 459. 1805.
Cassia sect. Cathartocarpus (Pers.) Benth., Fl. Austral. 2: 280, 281. 1864.
Type species: Cassia brewsteri (F.Muell.) F.Muell.

References
Primary references

Linnaeus, C. 1753. Species plantarum, exhibentes plantas rite cognitas, ad genera relatas, cum differentiis specificis, nominibus trivialibus, synonymis selectis, locis natalibus, secundum systema sexuale digestas. Tomus I. Pp. [I–XII], 1–560. Impensis Laurentii Salvii, Holmiae [Stockholm]. BHL Reference page. (See page 376.)

Links

Govaerts, R. et al. 2020. Cassia in Kew Science Plants of the World Online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2020 Aug 28. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2020. Cassia. Published online. Accessed: Aug 28 2020. Reference page.
Tropicos.org 2020. Cassia. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published online. Accessed: 28 Aug 2020.
Catalogue of Life: 2024 Annual Checklist

Vernacular names
čeština: Kasie
հայերեն: Աճալ
русский: Кассия
Türkçe: Sinameki

Cassia is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae, and the subfamily Caesalpinioideae. Species are known commonly as cassias. The genus includes 37 species and has a pantropical distribution.[2] 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 to tall trees.

Cassia is also the English common name of some unrelated species in the genus Cinnamomum of the family Lauraceae.
Ecology
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.[3]

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

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.

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.[4] 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.[5] Many taxa have since been transferred to more appropriate genera, such as Senna. Plants of the World Online accepts 37 species.[2]
Species

Cassia comprises the following species:[2][5][6]
Cassia occidentalis

Cassia abbreviata Oliv.
subsp. abbreviata Oliv.
subsp. beareana (Holmes) Brenan
subsp. kassneri (Baker f.) Brenan
Cassia afrofistula Brenan — Kenyan shower cassia
Cassia angolensis Welw. ex Hiern
Cassia arereh Delile
Cassia artensis Beauvis.
Cassia aubrevillei Pellegr.
Cassia bakeriana Craib—pink cassia, wishing-tree
Cassia brewsteri (F.Muell.) F.Muell. ex Benth. — Brewster's cassia, cigar cassia[7]
Cassia burttii Baker f.
Cassia cowanii H.S.Irwin & Barneby
var. cowanii H.S.Irwin & Barneby
var. guianensis (Sandwith) H.S.Irwin & Barneby
var. peruviana (J.F.Macbr.) H.S.Irwin & Barneb
Cassia eremophila Vogel—desert cassia
Cassia fastuosa Willd. ex Vogel
var. calva H.S.Irwin & Barneby
var. fastuosa
Cassia ferruginea (Schrad.) DC.
var. ferruginea
var. vellozoana H.S.Irwin & Barneby
Cassia fikifiki Aubrév. & Pellegr.
Cassia fistula L. — golden shower, Indian-laburnum, purging cassia[8]
Cassia grandis L.f. — pink shower cassia
Cassia hintonii Sandwith
Cassia hippophallus Capuron
Cassia javanica L.—apple-blossom cassia, Palawan cherry
subsp. bartonii F.M.Bailey
subsp. javanica L.
var. javanica L.
var. microcalyx Irwin & Barneby
subsp. nodosa (Buch.-Ham. ex Roxb.) K.Larsen & S.S.Larsen
subsp. pubiflora (Merr.) K.Larsen
Cassia johannae Vatke
Cassia lancangensis Y.Y. Qian
Cassia leiandra Benth.
Cassia leptophylla Vogel—gold medallion tree
Cassia mannii Oliv.
Cassia marksiana (F.M.Bailey) Domin
Cassia midas H.S.Irwin & Barneby
Cassia moschata Kunth
Cassia mystacicarpa Rizzini & Heringer
Cassia psilocarpa Welw.
Cassia queenslandica C.T.White
Cassia × regia Standl.
Cassia roxburghii DC.—Roxburgh's cassia
Cassia rubriflora Ducke
Cassia sieberiana DC.
Cassia spruceana Benth.
Cassia swartzioides Ducke
var. scarlatina (Ducke) H.S.Irwin & Barneby
var. swartzioides
Cassia thyrsoidea Brenan
Cassia tomentella (Benth.) Domin

See also

Sydney Percy-Lancaster

References

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.
Cassia L. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
SadeliIlyas (November 2013). "Carbon Sequestration and Growth of Stands of Cassia simera Lamk. in Coal Mining Reforestation Area". Indian Journal of Science and Technology. 6 (11): 5405–5410.
Frodin DG (2004). "History and concepts of big plant genera". Taxon. 53 (3): 753–776. doi:10.2307/4135449. JSTOR 4135449.
"ILDIS LegumeWeb entry for Cassia". International Legume Database & Information Service. Cardiff School of Computer Science & Informatics. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
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.
"Cassia brewsteri". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
"Cassia fistula". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 15 December 2017.