Cassia roxburghii

Cassia roxburghii is a thornless, small-sized and deciduous tree growing up to 10-12 m high.

The bark of Cassia roxburghii is greyish-coloured. With age, the bark becomes longitudinally fissured and transversally cracked.

The leaves of Cassia roxburghii grow alternately on the stem (spirally arranged).
The leaf is compound, paripinnate with 10-15 of pairs of leaflets. The leaf is 15-25 cm long with a 2 cm long petiole.
The leaflet are bright green-coloured above and paler beneath. The leaflets are chartaceous and pubescent on both sides (rusty and short hairs).
The leaflet have a 3 mm long petiolule.
The leaflet of Cassia roxburghii is 2.5-3 cm long and 1-1.5 cm wide. The shape of the blade is oblong, the apex is retuse and mucronate, the base is oblique and attenuate and the margins are entire.
The venation of the leaf is reticulate with a prominent midrib.

The flowers of Cassia roxburghii are grouped in axillary racemes (at the upper axils of the leaves).
The calyx is composed of 5 ovate sepals. They are 6 mm long and 3 mm wide. The calyx is light green yellowish-coloured and finely pubescent.
The corolla is composed of 5 pink-coloured and glabrous petals. The petals are elliptic or ovate with irregular size. The larger are 1-1.2 cm long and 0.7 mm wide. They are shortly clawed.
The androecium is composed of 10 stamens. 3 are curved and very long, 3 are curved and tiny and 4 are straight and medium-sized.
The style is 5 mm long, stout and curved with a simple stigma.
The ovary is stipitate, curved, pubescent and about 1.2-1.5 cm long.
 

The fruit of Cassia roxburghii is a long and cylindrical pod.
It is smooth, mucronate, up to 30 cm long and about 2 cm across.
The glossy, pendulous and indehiscent pods turn from green-reddish to black at maturity.
The inner fruit is divided in papery sections, each compartment containing one seed.

The seeds of Cassia roxburghii are light brown-coloured, compressed, ovate, 8-9 mm long and 6-7 mm wide.
The seeds are enclosed into separated and papery compartments.

Cassia roxburghii is used as an ornamental tree (in roadside plantings and parks) for its dense foliage and clusters of showy pinkish-coloured flowers.