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46. DESMANTHUS Willd. 
Herbs or somewhat shrubby plants, with twice-pinnate leaves of 
numerous small leaflets, axillary peduncles bearing a head of small 
greenish-white flowers, calyx sometimes p appiform or wanting, 5 or 10 
stamens with anthers not gland-bearing, and a flat acute straight or 
curved pod which is mostly linear. The following is Dr. Watson’s syn- 
opsis: 
* Stamens 5: pinnae 2 to 8 (usually 5) pairs on a rhachis 1 to 7.5 cm. long: leaflets linear: 
pod not attenuate at base: glabrous or nearly so. 
1. D. brachylobus Benth. Stout: heads many-flowered : peduncles 2.5 to 7.5m. 
long: pod oblong, 4 to 6 mm. broad, faleate.—Usually in wet soil, throughout Texas 
(excepting perhaps the southern border). 
2. D. leptolobus Torr. & Gray. Slender: heads small: peduncles 12 to 24 mm. - 
long: pod elongated-linear, 2 mm. broad, straight, acuminate.—Extending from Ar- 
kansas into northeastern Texas and probably within our range. 
** Stamens 10: leaflets oblong: pod linear. 
+ Pinne 2 to 6 (usually 4 or 5) pairs on a rhachis 1 to 3.5 em, long = leaflets veinless. 
3. D. Jamesii. Torr. & Gray. Rather stout, glabrous or slightly pubescent and 
the leaves ciliate: heads many-flowered, on short peduncles which are usually ap- 
proximate at summit and occasionally in pairs: pod 3.5 to 7.5 cm. long, 3 to 4 min. 
broad, acuminate, obtuse or but slightly narrowed at base.—In southern and western 
Texas. 
4. D. velutinus Scheele. Pubescent or rarely nearly glabrous: heads smaller, on 
peduncles 2.5 to 6.5 em. long: pod 2.5 to 6.5 em. long, 2 to 3 mm, broad, acuminate, 
attenuate at base, straight or nearly so.—In southern and especially extreme western 
Texas. 
++ Pinne 1 to 4 pairs: heads small, 
«+ Peduncles short (12 to 24 mm.) : rhachis short (12 mm. or less): pinne usually 1 or 2 
pairs: leaflets veinless : pod 2.5 to 6.5 em. long, acuminate, attenuate at base. 
5. D. depressus Humb. & Bonpl. Usually glabrous, low and depressed, very 
slender: leaflets small and narrow: pod straight or nearly so.—A species of the Gulf 
States, extending through Texas near the coast into Mexico, 
6. D. acuminatus Benth. More pubescent, stouter and more erect: leaflets mostly 
larger and broader: peduncles rarely over 12 mm. long: pod 20 to 40 mm. long, 
more or less curved.—In the San Antonio valley and southward. 
+++ Peduncles elongated (2.5 to 10 cm.) : leaflets veined: pod (2.5 to 3.5 em.) long, obtuse 
or slightly narrowed at base. 
7. D. reticulatus Benth. Glabrous or nearly so: rhachis 12 to 36 mm. long: pe- 
duncles usually 7.5 to 10 cm. long: pod acuminate.—Southern Texas. 
8. D. obtusus Watson. Pubescent: rhachis usually very short (12 mm. or less) : 
peduncles 2.5 to 6.5 cm. long: pod obtuse, apiculate.—Western Texas (Havard). 
47. MIMOSA L. (SENSITIVE PLANT.) 
Mostly shrubby plants or trees, sometimes herbaceous, usually more 
or less thorny or prickly, with bipinnate leaves which are often sensi- 
tive to the touch, flowers in globose heads or cylindrical spikes, usually 
10 distinct stamens, and flat entire or jointed sometimes prickly pods 
whose valves separate from and are broader than the persistent partition, 
