Author: Craib
Morphological description
Tree up to 10 m high; all young parts densely pubescent. Stipules narrow-lanceolate, pointed towards both ends, attached in the middle.
Leaves paripinnate with 5-7 pairs of leaflets(bakeriana Cassia TYPE detail ); petiole 2-4 cm long, light brownish pubescent as the 15-40 cm long rachis ; extrafloral nectaries absent; petiolule 2 mm. Leaflets oblong to oblanceolate, 6-8 by 1.5-3 cm, rounded at both ends; apex with a small mucro, both sides more or less densely velvety hairy.
Inflorescence. Racemes lateral, 5-12 cm long, 1-few together; main axis yellowish pubescent; bracts lanceolate, apex long-pointed, hairy on both sides, 7-12 by 3 mm at base; bracteoles similar but only 1/3 the length.
Flowers pentamerous (bakeriana Cassia TYPE detail ), large (the largest flowers of any Cassia in the region), on a 6 cm long, thinly pubescent pedicel , more densely hairy in a ring just below the calyx. Sepals ovate-lanceolate with acute apex, 9-12 by 2-3 mm, hairy on both sides. Petals ovate lanceolate, pinkish, 3.5-4.5 by 1-2.5 cm, claw narrow, c. 5 mm long. Stamens: 3 long with curved filaments 3.5-5 cm, swollen in the middle, anthers 5 mm long, ovoid, opening by apical and basal slits; 4 with filaments half the length but with anthers nearly twice as long, also opening by slits; reduced stamens 3, small, with filaments 1-1.5 cm long and very small anthers. Ovary whitish pubescent, recurved, c. 4 cm long, on a 1-1.5 cm long stipe; stigma subapical, punctiform.
Pods pendulous, terete, grey to brownish velvety pubescent, 30-40 by 1-1.5 cm diameter.
Seeds 30-40, separated by spongy septa.
Distribution
Endemic to Burma and Thailand. Introduced as ornamental in e.g. West Malaysia, and New Guinea, also elsewhere, but evidently not common.
Habitat
Occurring from (200-)500-1500 m altitude.
Note
A hybrid between Cassia bakeriana and Cassia fistula has yellowish-pink flowers. It is cultivated in West Malaysia under the name `Rainbow Shower'.