Cassia roxburghii

Red Cassia
	Tree in non-flowering stage
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Fabales
Family:	Fabaceae
Genus:	Cassia
Species:	C. roxburghii
Binomial name
	Cassia roxburghii; DC.
Synonyms
	Cassia javanica sensu Bojer; Cassia marginata Roxb.; Cathartocarpus marginatus G.Don; Cathartocarpus roxburghii (DC.) Loudon;

The Red Cassia, (Cassia roxburghii), also known as the Roxburgh's cassia, and Ceylon senna,^[2] is a flowering plant in the family Fabaceae.^[3] The species is native to the Indian subcontinent and adjacent regions of Southeast Asia. It ranges throughout South India and Sri Lanka.^[4]

The Latin specific epithet roxburghii refers to the Scottish Botanist William Roxburgh.^[5]

Description

The red cassia is a medium-sized tree, growing to 15–20 m (49–66 ft) tall with spreading, drooping branches. The leaves are clusters of pink, rose or orange flowers, 15–60 cm (5.9–23.6 in) long, and pinnate with three to eight pairs of leaflets, each leaflet 7–21 cm (2.8–8.3 in) long and 4–9 cm (1.6–3.5 in) broad. The flowers are produced in pendulous racemes 20–40 cm (7.9–15.7 in) long, each flower 4–7 cm (1.6–2.8 in) diameter with red to pinkish petals. The fruit is a legume.