Changes

*Shrub or small tree up to 10(–15) m tall, deciduous; young twigs glabrous or hairy. *Leaves arranged spirally, paripinnately compound with 5–12 pairs of leaflets; stipules linear, c. 1.5 mm long, caducous; leaflets ovate-elliptical to oblong-elliptical, 3–6 cm × 1–3 cm, base rounded to obtuse, apex obtuse to subacute. *Inflorescence a terminal, lax raceme, 0.5–9 cm long, many-flowered; bracts persistent during flowering. *Flowers bisexual, slightly zygomorphic, 5-merous, fragrant; sepals obtuse; petals oblanceolate to obovate, 15–35 mm × 7–18 mm, yellow; stamens 10, 3 with filaments c. 3 cm long, 4 shorter, 3 rudimentary; ovary superior, stipitate, style very short, stigma small. *Fruit a pendulous cylindrical pod 30–90 cm × 1.5–2.5 cm, transversely partitioned, dehiscent by 2 valves, woody, black, many-seeded with seeds embedded in pulp. *Seeds ellipsoid, 9–12 mm long, brown to black. *Seedling with epigeal germination.

Until the early 1980s, ''Cassia'' was considered a very large genus of about 550 species, but was then split into 3 genera: ''Cassia'' s.s. with about 30 species, ''Chamaecrista'' and ''Senna''. In ''Cassia abbreviata'' 3 subspecies are distinguished: subsp. ''abbreviata'', subsp. ''beareana'' (Holmes) Brenan and subsp. ''kassneri'' (Baker f.) Brenan. They differ morphologically and in ecological requirements. ''Cassia abbreviata'' hybridizes with ''[[Cassia burttii]]'' Baker f., which is found in Tanzania and Mozambique. ''[[Cassia afrofistula]]'' Brenan has been erroneously considered synonymous with ''Cassia abbreviata''; it is native to Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and Madagascar. Both ''Cassia burttii'' and ''Cassia afrofistula'' have similar medicinal uses in East Africa as ''Cassia abbreviata''. It is probable that these 3 species have been confused.

Kawanga, V., 2007. '''Cassia abbreviata''' Oliv. [Internet] Record from PROTA4U. In: Schmelzer, G.H. & Gurib-Fakim, A. (Editors). PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa / Ressources végétales de l’Afrique tropicale), Wageningen, Netherlands. <http://www.prota4u.org/search.asp>. Accessed {{CURRENTDAY}} {{CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{CURRENTYEAR}}.

[[Category:PROTA prov]]