92 



LEGUMINOS^. 





of plants bearing legumes or pods like the pea). Juss. gen. 345. naceous or oily), in a few they are exserted from the spermadera 



Gsert. fruct. 2. p. 301. D. C. fl. franc, ed. 3. vol. 4. prop. (f. 21. c), others are inclosed in it, as the common pea, never 



med. ed. 2. p. 131. D. C. prod. 2. p. 93. — Papilionacese and changing through germination (f. 20.). 



LomentJicese, Lin. ord. ed. gies. p. 415. This order is composed of trees, shrubs, or herbs, with 

 Calyx constantly of 5 sepals (f. 31. a), which are more or very variable habits. The leaves usually alternate and 

 less connected at the base, forming a 5-cleft (f. 31. a.) or 5- bistipulate, simple, but usually variously compound, gene- 

 toothed (f. 27. a.) calyx, never 5-sepalled, in the strict sense of rally pinnate or bipinnate, petiolate. Petioles usually bi- 

 the word, it is, however, sometimes composed of 1 (f. 52. g.) callous at the base, sometimes the petiole is dilated into a leafy 

 or 2 sepals from coalition or abortion (f. 43. a.), the teeth or seg- limb, when this is the case it is called a phyllodium. Flowers of 

 mcnts of the calyx usually unequal, sometimes connected into 2 various hues, axillary or terminal, disposed in racemes or pani- 

 lips (f. 48. a.) ; the upper lip bidentate (f. 48. a,) ; the lower one cles, rarely solitary. 



trifid (f. 48. a.). Petals usually 5 (f. 27. c. f. 47. c), generally 



Legumindsce is a vast and very natural order, diffused through- 



unequal, inserted in the bottom of the calyx, rarely in the torus, out the world, and is supposed by Humboldt to be a twelfth of 

 usually variously imbricated in aestivation, rarely valvate, gener- all the phaenogamous plants or vasculares, and we think he has 

 ally free, rarely joined into a gamopetalous corolla (sometimes, not underrated it. This is the family to which the various kinds 



however, the petals are wanting, and sometimes the corolla is of pulse belong, and is one of the most familiar to the world. 



formed of 1, 2, 3, or 4 petals only). Stamens inserted with the Their papilionaceous or pea flowers characterize the greater 



petals, usually double the number of the petals, rarely triple or number, and their legumes or pea pods the remainder, with very 



quadruple that number or fewer, sometimes all free (f. 54. b. f. few exceptions. As objects of ornament many are possessed 



56. c. f. 24. c), sometimes variously connected or monadelphous, of unrivalled beauty; for example, Robhiiaj Laburnum, Ifis- 



with the staminiferous tube entire (f. 29. c), or cleft in front taria^ Lwpinus, AstrdgaluSy Erythrina or Coral-Jloirer, &c, 



(f. 27. c?.), or diadelphous, usually with 9 joined and 1 free (f. Great, however, as is the beauty of the Legumindsce which can 



44. d.), rarely joined in 2 equal bundles, containing 5 stamens brave the inclemencies of the seasons of northern Europe, it 



each, and more rarely connected into 3 bodies. Anthers 2-celled must give way before the splendour and elegance of those of the 



(f. 23. /.), sometimes some of them are changed into abortive tropics. The flowers of Amherstta and Erythrina are of the 



threads. Ovary oblong (f. 23. rf.) or ovate, sessile (f. 25. d.) or deepest crimson, and borne in profusion upon some of the loftiest 



stipitate (f. 58. rf.), usually free, rarely with the stipe adnate to trees of the forest. But these are surpassed by the elegant fine- 



the calyx. Style filiform (f. 25. e. f. 31. rf.), rising from the top of leaved Acaciasy with their golden flowers, which cast a charm even 



the upper suture of the ovary, crowned by a terminal (f. 44. e.) or over the most sterile deserts of Africa. While the forests of hot 



lateral stigma. Legume usually 2-valved (f. 29. c?.), membra- 

 nous, corii 



countries are thus indebted to species of this order for their 

 rarely fleshy or drupaceous, dehiscent (f. timber, the meadows and pastures of the same latitudes are 

 29. d.) or indehiscent (f. 44. g.), 1-celIed (f. 52. A.), some- enamelled with the flowers of myriads of Indigo/eras, Hedysa- 

 times longitudinally g-celled from the upper suture being rums, and Desmodiums, and animated by the wonderful motion 

 bent in so much, or often transversely many-celled in con- of the sensitive plants. In our own country, the gayest part 

 sequence of the seeds being separated by spongy or mem- of our scenery is in many places indebted to the furze and broom 



branous substance (f. 49. c), often separating into 1-celled so in other countries the same effect is produced by other genera 



joints (f. 41. €.). Seeds usually numerous (f. 29. d.\ rarely of Legumindsce; by Lij^aria and Aspdlathus at the Cape of 



solitary (f. 36. c.) or twin (f. 56. e.) from abortion, fixed to the Good Hope, and by the Pultenceas and Daviesias, and similar 



upper suture of the legume (f. 56. e. f. 52. /i. f. 29. rf.), alter- genera in New Holland. The wood of the order is very harJ 



nately inserted in both valves, usually oval (f. 29. d.) or kidney, and durable, with a yellow tinge, sometimes changing into green, 



shaped (f. 5 1 . e.), hanging by various shaped funicles, rarely ex- as in the Laburnum of Europe, and in the better known Brazil- 



panded into aril. Testa or spermaderm smooth, usually very uood of commerce, produced by Ccesalpmia Brasiliensis 



smooth and hard. Endopleura 

 usually tumid, appearing like albu- 

 men. Embryo sometimes straight 

 (f. 21. I. /. wi.), sometimes with 

 the radicle curved back upon the 

 edge of the cotyledons, and 'ly- 

 ing in the commisure formed by 

 them (f. 21. e.f. ft.), but in either 

 case the radicle is directed towards 

 the hilum (f. 21. i. w.). Cotyle- 

 dons leafy, flat (f. 21. a- /.), 



changing through germination, or 

 fleshy (f. 21. c. ^.),(the flesh fari- 



FIG. 21. 



The following remarks upon the properties of the order ar 

 made by M. de CandoUe : The family of Leguminous pla^^^ 

 though established upon characters of primary importance, oflers 

 nevertheless so large a number of species, and such singuj^^ 

 botanical anomalies, that it is easy to foresee that its properties 

 will exhibit little uniformity. Still more exceptions may ^ 

 anticipated, if one reflects that the chemical principle which is 

 found most abundantly in every part of leguminous plants, and to 

 which we must attribute their principal properties, is the extrac- 

 tive. It is probable that this principle, either from its own nature 

 or from its peculiar power of uniting with different matters, or per- 

 haps instead of being a simple principle, it is rather a compoundo 

 different matters ; it is probable, I say, that this extractive pr»n- 



k 



