30 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



groat promptness when stimulated. These latter are called 

 "sensitive plants". The classic "sensitive plant" is a tropical 

 species, Mimosa pudica very common in the warmer parts 

 of the world and often grown in old gardens and conserv- 

 atories in northern latitudes. As soon as the leaves are 

 touched they close, the leaflets folding togeather and the leaf 

 itself drooping. In our own region other less active sensi- 

 tive plants are found. A well known member of this group 

 is the "sensitive rose", "sensitive brier" and "shamevine" 

 whose scientific title is Schrankia uncinata. Cassia iiictitans 

 is also called "sensitive plant" and "sensitive pea" but it only 

 tardily responds to a stimulus. Its near relative, Cassia 

 chainaecrista, is still less sensitive though it folds it leaves 

 at night and is occasionally known as "sensitive plant". The 

 best known name of this latter plant is "partridge pea" though 

 it is not likely that partridges feed upon it. It is distantly 

 related to the medicinal senna and in consequence is sometimes 

 called "prairie senna." Being the smallest of its genus in 

 our region it is occasionally known as "dwarf senna." The 

 species in our flora most commonly called "wild senna" is 

 Cassia Marilandica. This species has some of the properties 

 that make medicinal senna valuable and is sometimes substitut- 

 ed for it. Cassia tora of the Southern States is known as 

 "sickle-pod" and "coffee-weed," these names refering to the 

 shape of the pods and the hard dark seeds. Cassia occiden- 

 falis is called "coffee-weed", "negro-weed" and "magdad- cof- 

 fee". We are unable to explain the last mentioned term or 

 the name "magoty-boy bean" applied to Cassia chamaecrista. 

 The word magot seems to be French and means an ape. Pos- 

 sibly the names here given may be some fanciful reference 

 to the animal in the same way that the seeds are known as 

 "negro coffee." 



