Cassia abbreviata Oliv.[Agg]

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Photo: Petra Ballings
Rd between Hot Springs and Nyanyadzi, Odzi-Save Valley

Photo: Bart Wursten
Chitengo Camp, Gorongosa National Park.

Photo: Petra Ballings
Chitengo Camp, Gorongosa National Park.

Photo: Patricia Bingham

Photo: Mike Bingham
Kamaila

Photo: Mike Bingham
Lusaka, Musikili Road

Photo: Meg Coates Palgrave
TCT-Catapú

Photo: Bart Wursten
Road 1 before Road 2 Turnoff, Gorongosa National Park

Photo: Bart Wursten
Along road near Khodzue Gorge Camp

Photo: Mark Hyde
Mbizi Game Park

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Synonyms:	Cassia abbreviata Oliv. var. granitica (Baker f.) Baker f. Cassia granitica Baker f.
Common names:	Isihaqa (Ndebele) Long-tail cassia (English) Muremberembe (Shona) Muvheneka (Shona) Sjambok pod (English)
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Shrub or small rounded tree. Bark greyish-brown, longitudinally furrowed. Leaves paripinnate without any glands on the rhachis or petiole; leaflets in 7-12 pairs, hairy on the under surface, particularly when young (see note below), ovate-elliptic with a rounded apex. Flowers in large, lax, terminal sprays, yellow, appearing before the leaves. Fruit a long cylindric brown pod, up to 90 cm, which remains on the tree for many months.
Notes:	Two subspecies occur widespread in the region. They are distinguished by the type of hairs on the undersurface of the leaflets. Subsp. beareana has straight appressed hairs, while subsp. abbreviata has loose, somewhat curly hairs. It is often very difficult to distinguish the two in the field.
Derivation of specific name:	abbreviata: shortened
Habitat:	In various types of woodland and wooded grassland.
Altitude range: (metres)	610 - 1470 m
Flowering time:	Sep - Oct
Worldwide distribution:	From East Africa southwards to Limpopo and Mpumalanga, South Africa.
Zimbabwe distribution:	N,W,C,E,S
Growth form(s):	Tree.
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:	Rhodogastria amasis (Food plant) Gynanisa maja (Larval foodplant) Grammodora nigrolineata (Larval foodplant)
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Images last updated:	Saturday 10 March 2007
Literature:	*Coates Palgrave, K. et al.* (1956).** Trees of Central Africa National Publications Trust, Salisbury. Pages 93 - 96. (Includes a picture). Drummond, R.B. (1981). Common Trees of the Central Watershed Woodlands of Zimbabwe. Natural Resources Board, Harare. Pages 76 - 77. (Includes a picture). Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 43. As Cassia abrbreviata var abbreviata and var. beareana Steedman, E.C. (1933). Some Trees, Shrubs and Lianes of Southern Rhodesia. Page 21. Cassia granitica (Includes a picture).

Other sources of information about Cassia abbreviata:

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Flora of Botswana: Cassia abbreviata
Flora of Malawi: Cassia abbreviata
Flora of Mozambique: Cassia abbreviata
Flora of Zambia: Cassia abbreviata
Flora of Zimbabwe: cultivated Cassia abbreviata

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Cassia abbreviata
African Plant Database: Cassia abbreviata
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Cassia abbreviata
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Cassia abbreviata
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Cassia abbreviata
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Cassia abbreviata
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Cassia abbreviata
JSTOR Plant Science: Cassia abbreviata
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Cassia abbreviata
Plants of the World Online: Cassia abbreviata
Tropicos: Cassia abbreviata
Wikipedia: Cassia abbreviata