Cassia nodosa Roxb.

A small to medium-sized tree up to 25(-40) m tall, deciduous or semi-deciduous, trunk of young trees either smooth or armed with stump-remnants of branches. Leaves with 5-15(-20) pairs of leaflets, petiole 1.5-4 cm long, leaflets elliptical-ovate to oblong, 2.5-5 cm x 1.5-2.5 cm, base broadly rounded, apex acute or rounded to obtuse. Inflorescence a raceme or panicle, terminal on leafy shoots or lateral on short side branches, up to 16 cm long, many-flowered; flowers with sepals 4-10 mm long, green to dark red, petals 15-35 mm long, whitish to reddish or buff, stamens 10, 3 longer ones with filaments 2 cm long, 4 shorter with filaments about 1 cm long and 3 reduced wih filaments about 1 cm long and minute anthers. Fruit pendent, terete, 20-60 cm long, 1-1.5(-2.5) cm in diameter, indehiscent. Seeds numerous, embedded in a flat disk. C. javanica trees show Troll's architectural model, with sympodial growth and all axes plagiotropic, the architecture being built by their continual superposition. C. javanica is very polymorphic and several subspecies are distinguished.

In East Java C. javanica flowers in October-December and fruits in the dry season. It has been observed flowering and fruiting in a mast fruiting year in Peninsular Malaysia.

In Java it has been reported from fertile volcanic loams, and from marshy, sandy and limestone soils.

C. javanica is usually found in more open sites in the forest, but can also occur in closed evergreen primary forest. C. javanica also occurs in deciduous monsoon forest and in more open or even savanna-like habitats. It has a wide ecological amplitude and is generally found at lower elevations. It is often naturalized in secondary forest close to locations where it has been planted. The various subspecies of C. javanica show preferences for either dry or moist habitats on a wide variety of soils.

Cassia javanica L. has been planted for so long that the natural area of distribution is difficult to reconstruct. It is also planted as an ornamental in Central and South America. C. javanica also widespread in the Malesian area, wild and cultivated. Widely cultivated all over tropical Asia. The various subspecies are geographically confined to parts of the Malesian area, though sometimes cultivated outside their original area of distribution.

C. javanica can be propagated by seed or by vegetative means. The germination rate is about 70%; 50% of the seed sown yields good plants. Other records, however, show a germination rate of 20-65% in 5 days to well over one year. For India, where late and prolonged germination is a problem, it is reported that mechanical scarification may be used to overcome seed dormancy. The planting of large cuttings of C. javanica in the Philippines was unsuccessful as only 10% of the cuttings survived. Air layering failed altogether. C. javanica is not resistant to fire.

There are 5700-8400 dry seeds/kg. Seed storage is variable: fresh seed can be stored for only 3 weeks in airtight containers, but storing dry seeds for over one year is also reported. Seeds start to germinate after 7 days and 80% of the seedlings appear within in 14-30 days. Pods can easily be collected from the ground and have to be opened with a chopping knife.

Ornamental: C. javanica is also extensively used as an ornamental and roadside tree, particularly forms of subsp. agnes (de Wit) K. Larsen with larger flowers.

Medicine: The ripe pods and seeds are used as a traditional laxative throughout the Malesian area. In Thailand, bark and seeds are also used as antipyretics. However, it was noted that emesis may be observed. Tannin or dyestuff: The bark has been used for tanning leather, but the amount of tannin is comparatively low. Timber: The wood is used for general construction, furniture and cabinet making.