326 DIADELPHIA DECANDRIA, Robinia, 
long as the leaves, erect, a little downy. Bractes obloug, 
concave, pointed, downy, two-flowered. Flowers pretty large, 
yellow. Filaments alternately longer ; anthers equal, Legume 
globularly protuberant at the seed, the contractions between 
them oblique ; downy, spotted with dark purple ; about an 
inch long. Seeds three or four, of the ‘size of a small pea, 
round, smooth, light brown, Beside the above described, 
there is a smaller variety ; they differ however only in ap- 
pearance and size, the first growing to be from six to eight 
feet high, with a circumference of twenty feet round the ex- 
tremities of the branches. The second seldom or never more 
than half the size; but they differ more in respect to the 
length of time they take to ripen their seeds, the first requir- 
ing about nine months from the time it was sown, and yield- 
ing a produce of about six hundred-fold, The other, only 
three months, and yielding generally less than one hundred- 
fold. : 
‘They both require a high, dry, light, rich soil. The first 
sort is commonly sown, with the first rains, in June; the se- 
cond about September. : 
This grain is in high esteem by ail classes of the natives ; 
it holds the third rank amongst the leguminous = and is 
next in value after the Chick Pea, 
Cattle are fond of the tender parts of the plant, whether 
green or dry, ‘The dry wood is excellent fuel, beside it is 
one of the best for producing fire by friction. The natives 
say “there: is a third sort cultivated on the high hills which 
form the north boundary of the genes but I have never been 
able to meet with it.* 
ROBINIA. Schreb. gen. N. 1194. - | 
Calyx campanulate, division of its mouth unequal and ge- 
nerally four. Legume gibbous at the seeds, elongated. 
