Selected Trees and Shrubs
Senna siamea, Synonym: Cassia siamea, Common name: Siam Cassia
Plant Family: Belongs to the Caesalpiniaceae family, which includes the Flamboyant (Delonix regia), Orchid Tree (Bauhinia variegata) and Golden Shower (Cassia fistula).
Description: Medium size, quick-growing tree to 12 m tall (40 ft) with relatively smooth bark; leaves pinnately compound, 15-30 cm long (6-12 in), consisting of 6-14 pairs of ovate leaflets each 3-8 cm long (1-3 in) and hairy beneath; flowers greenish-yellow on erect spikes 15-30 cm high (6-12 in), growing in axils of leaves or at ends of branches; fruits produced in profusion, with thin, flat pods 20-25 cm long (8-10 in) and 12-15 mm broad (about ½ in); [Though both Siam Cassia and the more popular Golden Shower (Cassia fistula) bear a profusion of similar yellow flowers, Golden Shower differs from Siam Cassia in having a pendulous inflorescence and much longer pods, usually twice as long as Siam, that are round in cross section, in contrast to flat Siam Cassia pods].
Natural Habitat:Grows in both dry and moist areas.
Origin and Distribution: S.E. Asia, particularly southern India, Myanmar and Thailand.
Uses: Commonly planted as street tree for shade and as ornamental; heartwood yields hard, dark red timber, excellent for fuel.
References:
H.F. Macmillan. Tropical Planting and Gardening. Macmillan, London 1956
Dorathy P. Storer. Familiar Trees and Cultivated Plants of Jamaica. Macmillan, London 1964
C.D. Adams. Flowering Plants of Jamaica. University of the West Indies, Mona, Glasgow University Press 1972
Robert a DeFilipps. Useful Plants of the Commonwealth of Dominica, West Indies. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 1998
Description: Medium size, quick-growing tree to 12 m tall (40 ft) with relatively smooth bark; leaves pinnately compound, 15-30 cm long (6-12 in), consisting of 6-14 pairs of ovate leaflets each 3-8 cm long (1-3 in) and hairy beneath; flowers greenish-yellow on erect spikes 15-30 cm high (6-12 in), growing in axils of leaves or at ends of branches; fruits produced in profusion, with thin, flat pods 20-25 cm long (8-10 in) and 12-15 mm broad (about ½ in); [Though both Siam Cassia and the more popular Golden Shower (Cassia fistula) bear a profusion of similar yellow flowers, Golden Shower differs from Siam Cassia in having a pendulous inflorescence and much longer pods, usually twice as long as Siam, that are round in cross section, in contrast to flat Siam Cassia pods].
Natural Habitat:Grows in both dry and moist areas.
Origin and Distribution: S.E. Asia, particularly southern India, Myanmar and Thailand.
Uses: Commonly planted as street tree for shade and as ornamental; heartwood yields hard, dark red timber, excellent for fuel.
References:
H.F. Macmillan. Tropical Planting and Gardening. Macmillan, London 1956
Dorathy P. Storer. Familiar Trees and Cultivated Plants of Jamaica. Macmillan, London 1964
C.D. Adams. Flowering Plants of Jamaica. University of the West Indies, Mona, Glasgow University Press 1972
Robert a DeFilipps. Useful Plants of the Commonwealth of Dominica, West Indies. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 1998
