Fwd: strange fruit= Cassia grandis

[Daniel Janzen]

Cassia grandis, widely introduced (Fabaceae broadly Caesalpiniaceae
narrowly, i.e., a bean).   Grows "native" in Central America but since the
black stuff is a medicinal, has been planted and then subsequently moved
all over the place.  Is a Pleistocene megafauna fruit.  Dan Janzen





>X-Accept-Language: en,pdf
>Date:         Fri, 28 Mar 2003 09:54:39 -0500
>Reply-To: Richard Jensen <rjensen at SAINTMARYS.EDU>
>Sender: Taxacom Discussion List <TAXACOM at USOBI.ORG>
>From: Richard Jensen <rjensen at SAINTMARYS.EDU>
>Organization: Saint Mary's College
>Subject:      strange fruit
>To: TAXACOM at USOBI.ORG
>Status:
>
>While cleaning out old boxes of museum jars, etc., a colleague of mine
>came
>across a fruit that I am unfamiliar with.  It is cylindrical, measuring
>38 cm
>long, and 1.5-2.0 cm in diameter.  Externally, it is dark brown with two
>
>apparent sutures running the full length.  The pericarp is very hard and
>varies
>from 0.5 - 1.5 mm thick.  The interior is transversely septate into
>numerous
>sections (about two per cm of length) and the septae have a glossy black
>coating
>of hard, dry material.  The seeds (only one per septate section as far
>as I can
>tell) are ovoid, measuring about 8 mm by 6 mm, somewhat laterally
>compressed,
>glossy umber in color, and with a distinct line on one of the "flatter"
>surfaces.
>
>If this description is not sufficient, I'll post a digitial photo (I
>don't have
>my camera handy at the moment).
>
>Thanks for help with an ID.
>
>Dick
>
>--
>Richard J. Jensen              | tel: 574-284-4674
>Department of Biology      | fax: 574-284-4716
>Saint Mary's College         | e-mail: rjensen at saintmarys.edu
>Notre Dame, IN 46556    | http://www.saintmarys.edu/~rjensen
>