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19. Caesalpinia Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 380. 1753.

云实属 yun shi shu

Authors: Dezhao Chen, Prof. Dianxiang Zhang & Ding Hou

Guilandina Linnaeus; Mezonevron Desfontaines.

Trees, shrubs, or climbers, usually with prickles. Leaves alternate, bipinnate; leaflets alternate or opposite, small or large. Inflo­rescences racemes or panicles, axillary or terminal. Flowers yellow or orange-yellow, medium-large or large. Receptacle concave. Sepals separate, imbricate, lowest one larger. Petals 5, often clawed, spreading, 4 usually orbicular, sometimes oblong, uppermost smaller, different in color, shape, and pubescence from others. Stamens 10, in 2 whorls; filaments thickened and hairy at bases; an­thers ovoid or elliptic, dorsifixed and versatile. Ovary 1-7-ovuled; style terete; stigma truncate or hollow at center. Legume com­pressed or swollen, ovoid, oblong, or lanceolate, sometimes falcate, winged or not, smooth or spiny, leathery or woody, rarely fleshy, dehiscent or indehiscent. Seeds ovoid or globose; albumen absent.

About 100 species: pantropical distribution; 20 species (six endemic, two introduced) in China.


Key based on fruiting specimens

1 Legume winged, wings 5-10 mm wide (C. subg. Mezonevron (Desfontaines) J. E. Vidal ex Herendeen & Zarucchi)   (2)
+ Legume wingless or narrowly winged; wing less than 5 mm wide (C. subg. Caesalpinia)   (4)
       
2 (1) Leaflets usually more than 4 cm; pinnae usually 2-5 pairs; petals smooth, glabrous, inner one broad and short, shortly clawed; legume samara-like, oblong, zygomorphic, 1-seeded at central part.   15 C. cucullata
+ Leaflets usually not more than 2.5 cm; pinnae usually 6-10 pairs; petals hairy, inner one with long claw; legume 3-7-seeded   (3)
       
3 (2) Leaflets glabrous; seeds swollen-ridged at middle; legume conspicuously swollen opposite each seed.   16 C. enneaphylla
+ Leaflets hairy, especially densely so abaxially; legume and seeds not as above.   17 C. hymenocarpa
       
4 (1) Legume fleshy, indehiscent   (5)
+ Legume not fleshy   (6)
       
5 (4) Rachis of leaves 17-23 cm; pinnae 3-6 cm; leaflets adaxially hairy, not shiny.   13 C. digyna
+ Rachis of leaves 30-40 cm; pinnae 5-16 cm; leaflets adaxially glabrous or shortly hairy, shiny.   14 C. tortuosa
       
6 (4) Legume spiny or bristly   (7)
+ Legume without spines and setae   (9)
       
7 (6) Legume obovoid, falcate, 4-5 × ca. 1 cm, much longer than wide, setose, 1- or 2-seeded.   3 C. mimosoides
+ Legume oblong, 5-13 × 4-5 cm, densely spiny, 2-8-seeded   (8)
       
8 (7) Stipules large, leaflike, parted or lobed; bracts subulate; petals yellow; legume 5-7 × 4-5 cm, ca. as long as wide; seeds subglobose.   1 C. bonduc
+ Stipules subulate; bracts elliptic; petals whitish, tinged with red spots; legume 7.5-13 × 4-4.5 cm; seeds terete.   2 C. minax
       
9 (6) Legume ovoid, elliptic, ± oblong, or lanceolate-oblong   (10)
+ Legume compressed, suborbicular, ± obliquely broadly ovoid, or obliquely oblong   (15)
       
10 (9) Leaflets abaxially farinose-brown when dry; legume ventral sutures narrowly winged, apex without beak.   9 C. caesia
+ Leaflets abaxially not farinose-brown; legume ventral sutures narrowly winged or not winged, apex with or without beak   (11)
       
11 (10) Legume oblong-ligulate or oblanceolate-oblong, 6-9-seeded or more; pedicels 3.5-7 cm   (12)
+ Legume suboblong, oblong to elliptic, or oblong-obovoid, 1-4-seeded; pedicels to ca. 2 cm   (13)
       
12 (11) Climbers with copious prickles; legume oblong-ligulate, 2.5-3 cm wide, narrowly winged along ventral suture, dehiscent.   11 C. decapetala
+ Small trees, without or with scattered, sparse prickles; legume oblanceolate-oblong, 1.5-2 cm wide, not winged along ventral suture, indehiscent.   12 C. pulcherrima
       
13 (11) Leaflets 10-17 pairs per pinna, papery, 10-20 × 5-7 mm; legume woody.   10 C. sappan
+ Leaflets 2 pairs per pinna, leathery, 60-130 × 25-80 mm; legume leathery   (14)
       
14 (13) Leaflets 2.5-3 cm wide, glabrous, apex acuminate; legume dehiscent.   18 C. yunnanensis
+ Leaflets 4.5-8 cm wide, abaxially brown hairy, apex rounded or obtuse; legume indehiscent.   19 C. elliptifolia
       
15 (9) Leaflets 7-13 mm; legume leathery, winged along ventral suture.   4 C. millettii
+ Leaflets 15-150 mm; legume woody or leathery, winged or not winged along ventral suture   (16)
       
16 (15) Leaflets 6-10 pairs, ovate-lanceolate, apex acuminate, abaxially glaucous; legume without reticulate veins.   8 C. vernalis
+ Leaflets 2-6 pairs, elliptic, ovate, oblong, or broadly ovate; legume with conspicuous reticulate veins   (17)
       
17 (16) Legume woody; leaflets to 15 cm.   5 C. magnifoliolata
+ Legume leathery; leaflets not more than 9 cm   (18)
       
18 (17) Apices of leaflets acuminate; legume with wings ca. 3 mm wide, along ventral sutures.   6 C. sinensis
+ Apices of leaflets obtuse-rounded, sometimes emarginate, rarely acute; legume not winged or wings obscure   (19)
       
19 (18) Leaflets 4-6 pairs per pinna, ovate or elliptic, 3-6 × 1.5-3 cm.   7 C. crista
+ Leaflets 3 or 4 pairs per pinna, slightly rhombic, 1.5-2 × 0.8-1.2 cm.   20 C. rhombifolia

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