Galapagos Species Database

The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.

Cassia fistula L.

caña fístula, casia purgante, golden-rain , golden shower, amaltas, purging cassia

Photo: .
Photo: .

Taxonomy

Domain
Eukaryota

Kingdom
Plantae

Phylum
Magnoliophyta

Class
Magnoliopsida (= Dicotyledoneae)

Order
Fabales

Family
Fabaceae

Genus
Cassia

Species
fistula

Taxon category: Accepted

Syn.: Bactyrilobium fistula (L.) Willd.

Origin: Introduced - established

Introduction

Year of first record: 2002

Mode of introduction: Intentional

Introduction Pathway: Intentional

Subpathway: Agriculture/Horticulture

Introduced status: Human dependent

Invasive status: Unlikely to become invasive

Distribution

Map of specimen collection localities or observation records for this species in our collections database.

References

  • Brako, L. Zarucchi,J.L. (1993) Catalogue of the Flowering Plants and Gymnosperms of Peru. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 45: i–xl, 1–1286.
  • Clavijo, P. Valdebenito, H. & Hurtado, F. (1991) Plantas introducidas en las areas urbanas de las islas Galapagos. Typescript reports in files of Botany Dept.
  • Guézou, A. Trueman, M., Buddenhagen, E., Chamorro, S., Guerrero, A.M., Pozo, P., Atkinson, R. (2010) An extensive Alien Plan Inventory from the Inhabited Areas of Galapagos Plos One/ www.plosone.org. Volume 5/ Issue 4/e10276
  • Prado Erazo, G.E. (1986) Informe preliminar, Censo de especies arboreas introducidas en la zona agricola de la isla Santa Cruz. Charles Darwin Research Station, unpublished, typescript CDF library
  • Schery, R.W. (1951) Leguminosae-Caesalpinioideae. Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 38(1): 1–94.
  • Stevens, W.D. Ulloa, C., Pool, A., & Montiel, O.M. (2001) Flora de Nicaragua. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 85: i–xlii, 1–2666.

You are welcome to download and use the information found in this page, acknowledging its source.

This page should be cited as follows:

"Galapagos Species Database, Cassia fistula", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=500. Accessed 2 January 2026.