Cassia abbreviata
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Cassia abbreviata in Kruger National Park |
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| Olive. |
Cassia abbreviata is a plant of the genus Kassien ( Cassia ) in the subfamily of caesalpinioideae (Caesalpinioideae).
description
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Vegetative characteristics
Cassia abbreviata grow as deciduous trees or shrubs that can reach heights of up to 7 meters and often form an umbrella-shaped crown on a straight trunk. The pinnate leaves , composed of five to twenty pairs of leaves, are light green when young, later darker, slightly drooping and are thrown off in the dry season .
Generative characteristics
The flowering period extends from August to October. The flowers stand together in terminal racemose inflorescences . The sweet smelling, hermaphrodite flowers are five-fold. The five petals are deep yellow.
The green, round, tubular legumes are up to 1 meter in length and turn dark brown when ripe (which sometimes occurs shortly before the next bloom). The legumes are segmented inside and contain black and flat seeds in a brown-green "pulp".
Distribution and subspecies
The homeland of Cassia abbreviata is located in the south and east of tropical and subtropical Africa (called Afrikaans : "Sjambok pod", English : "long-tail cassia"). Today it is also found in Mauritius and Papua New Guinea .
There are three subspecies of Cassia abbreviata :
- Cassia abbreviata olive. subsp. abbreviata : Distribution: Mozambique , Zambia , Zimbabwe , Tanzania , Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Cassia abbreviata subsp. beareana (Holmes) Brenan ( Syn . : Cassia beareana Holmes ): Distribution: Botswana , Kenya , Mozambique , Namibia , Zambia, Zimbabwe , Somalia , South Africa , Tanzania as well as Mauritius and Papua New Guinea
- Cassia abbreviata subsp. kassneri (Baker f.) Brenan (Syn .: Cassia kassneri Baker f. ): Distribution: Kenya and Tanzania
The subspecies were previously listed as separate species. The distribution area of the three subspecies strongly overlaps, and these are sometimes difficult to distinguish from one another - so Cassia abbreviata subsp. beareana and Cassia abbreviata subsp. abbreviata can be distinguished by the hair on the underside of the leaf.
Cassia abbreviata subsp. abbreviata tends to hybridize with Cassia burttii Baker f. in its natural range . (to Cassia abbreviata subsp. abbreviata × Cassia burttii )
In South Africa , Cassia abbreviata is the only naturally native species of the genus Cassia ( Cassia ).
use
Cassia abbreviata is used as an ornamental plant in parks and gardens.
Various parts of plants (especially roots and bark) are used extensively in traditional African medicine for the treatment of e.g. As bilharzia , blackwater fever , headache , toothache , abdominal pain , constipation , diarrhea as well as abrasive material used - in addition to root and bark extracts as an aphrodisiac used.
Naming
The Afrikaans name "Sjambok pod" is derived from the Afrikaansen (from Malay ) term for a short whip - as a reference to the long legumes.
swell
- Pitta Joffe: Creative gardening with indigenous plants: A South African guide , 2001
- Fanie Venter, Julye-Ann Venter: Making the Most of Indigenous Trees , 2000
- Braam Van Wyk, Piet van Wyk: Field guide to trees of Southern Africa , 1997
- Information on Cassia abbreviata (English) at: Flora of Zimbabwe , Plantzafrica , Plant Kingdom .
Individual evidence
- ↑ International Legume Database & Information Service = ILDIS.
- ↑ Information on Cassia abbreviata subsp. abbreviata (English)
- ↑ Information on Cassia abbreviata subsp. beareana (english)
- ↑ Information on Cassia abbreviata subsp. kassneri (english)
- ↑ Information on Cassia abbreviata subsp. abbreviata × burttii . ( Page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
