55 
CALYCOTÓME spinosa. 
Spiny Calycotome. 
MONADELPHIA DECANDRIA. 
Nat. ord. Fasacex. (LEGUMINOUS PLANTS, Vegetable Kingdom, 
p. 544.) 
CALYCOTOME, LK. nec E. Měy.—Calyx bilabiatus, labiis minute 
dentatis abbreviatis deciduis tubum circumscissum relinquentibus. Petala 
quatuor, libera, carina oblonga apice obtuse rostra tagenitalia includente, alis 
fovearum area a margine vexillari ad nervum medium oblique decurrente 
inferne instructis. Glandula stigmatica capitulata, terminalis, in apice styli 
«incurvi extrorsum declivis, nuda. Legumen oblongo-lineare, polyspermum, 
demum spongiosum, endocarpio coriaceo ab epicarpio sejuncto eique in sutura 
inferiori adherente. Semina arillata.— Grisebach Flora Rumelica, 1. 6. 
C. spinosa ; ramis angulatis, foliolis obovato-oblongis, leguminibus glaber- 
rimis. 
Cytisus spinosus, Lamarck dict. 2. p. 247. DeCand. Prodr. 2. 154. 
Genista spinosa, Hort. 
Spartium spinosum, Linn. sp. pl. 997. 
Calycotome spinosa, Link in Schrad. neue journ. 2. 50. 
Every body who cultivates hardy shrubs knows how diffi- 
cult it is to settle what is a Genista and what a Cytisus by 
the old definitions to be found in books, and this difficulty 
has been increased by the way in which the species have been 
transferred from one to the other by systematical Botanists. 
This bas arisen from the original adoption of bad marks of 
distinetion, unsuited to the purpose for which they were 
employed, and the unscientific dread of “ innovation“ even 
where most required. 
This feeling led to the rejection of Link's genus Calyco- 
tome, although it was perfectly natural, and not to be con- 
fused with anything else, and notwithstanding the evident 
advantage of separating one well-defined group from a mass 
of species collected together by vague characters. Mr. Ben- 
tham, however, has now accepted it, (see Vegetable Kingdom), 
and no doubt can exist of the propriety of doing so, whether 
