9 
NEPTUNIA plena. 
The Double-yellow Water- Sensitive. 
POLYGAMIA MONCECIA. 
Nat. ord. FABACEX. (LEGUMINOUS PLANTS, Vegetable Kingdom, 
p. 544. ined.) 
NEPTUNIA, Lour.— Flores superiores, v. rarius omnes hermaphroditi, 
sessiles. Calyx campanulatus. Petala 5, ad mediüm cohserentia v. rarius 
libera. Stamina 10, rarius 5, libera, exserta. Anthere ovate, glaudula stipi- 
tata superatee. Flores inferiores nunc neutri filamentis filiformibus anan- 
theris, nunc masculi. Legumen oblongum, a stipite deflexum, planum, con- 
tinuum, valvulis 2 membranaceis dehiscens, intus inter semina incomplete 
septatum, epulposum. Semina transversa, funiculo filiformi appensa. 
Herbee suffruticesve inermes, prostrate v. natantes. Folia bipinnata, foliolis 
parvis. Glandula inter v. infra pinnas jugi infimi v. sepius nulla.  Stipulee 
membranacee, oblique cordate, acuminate. Pedunculi axillares, solitarii, 
bracteis 1-2 stipuleformibus deciduis onusti. Capitulum ad apicem pedunculi 
ovato-globosum.— Bentham. 
N. plena; prostrata v. adscendens, glabra v. hinc inde minute puberula, 
ramis compressis triquetrisve, pinnis 3-5-jugis, glandula inter pinnas 
infimas, foliolis 12-40-jugis, capitulis ovoideis, floribus neutris numerosis, 
staminibus 10, legumine breviter stipitato 5-20-spermo.— Bentham in 
Hooker s Journal, iv. 355. 
Mimosa plena, Linn. Sp. Pl. 1502. Mill. ic. t. 182. f. 2. 
Mimosa punctata, Linn. Sp. Pl. 1502. 
Mimosa adenanthera, Roxb. Fl. ind. 2. 554. 
Desmanthus plenus, Willd. Sp. Pl. 4. 1045. DC. Prodr. 2. 444. 
Desmanthus punctatus, Willd. l. c. p. 1047. DC. L. c. 445. 
Desmanthus polyphyllus, DC. Prodr. 2. 444. 
Neptunia plena, Benth. in Hooker’s Journal, 4. 355. 
Neptunia polyphylla, Benth. l. c. 2. 129. 
This curious Water plant, with sensitive leaves, has been 
raised from seeds recently sent from Jamaica, by Mr. Purdie; 
and a specimen of it, from the collection of His Grace the 
Duke of Northumberland at Syon, was exhibited at a meeting 
of the Horticultural Society in October last. Its long spongy 
stems throw out innumerable thread-like roots, and, floating 
in the water, speedily produce broad masses of leaves cut up 
into myriads of irritable leaflets. 
It seems to be common in all parts of tropical America, 
Botanists having received it from Guiana, Mexico, Brazil and 
