LEGUMINOSiE. 311 



2. Desmaiitlms pnitorum. Field Desmantkus. 



Stem sufFruticosc prostrate, pinnae 2-4-paired, pe- 

 tiole 1-glanduJose between the lowest pair of pinna;, 

 spikes capitate S-flowered, stamens 10, legumes nar- 

 row linear. 



HAB. Oxford pastures, St Thomas in the East. Hope 

 pastures, Liguanea. Lucky Valley, Port-Royal. 



FL. After rains. 



Stem frutescent, prostrate, branched : branches long, simple, 

 sub tetragonal, scabrous under the microscope. Leaves bipin- 

 nate : pinnae 2-4 paired : leaflets minute, 18-paired, lineari-ob- 

 long, obtuse, under the glass minutely ciliated : petiole 1^ inch 

 long, channelled, with the upper surface puberulous, bearing a 

 red sessile cup-like glandule between the lowest pair of pinnse. 

 Stipules setaceous. Peduncle axillary, longer than the petiole, 

 filiform, jointed, and furnished with a pair of minute ovate at- 

 tenuated bracteas towards the extremity, bearing a head of 8 

 small white flowers. A minute ovate acuminate bracteole to 

 each of the flowers. Calyx 5-fid. Petals twice the length 

 of the calyx, lineari-oblong. Filaments twice the length of the 

 petals, white. Legumes 2-6 perfected in the head, linear, 

 acute, mucronate : seeds about 14, elliptic. 



XXXVIII. Frosopis. 

 Flowers polygamous. Calyx 5-dentate. Petals 5, 

 free. Stamens 10 ; filaments slightly connate at the 

 base. Legume continuous, filled with pulp, linear, 

 somewhat compressed, torulose at the situations of 

 the seeds, and at length subsoluble betwixt them. 



Trees or shrubs, prickly or unarmed ; leaves bipinnate ; spikes 

 axillary, peduncled ; flowers greenish or yellowish ; legume* 

 edulous. — Name, from ir^oawxig, a Utile mask ? 



1. Prosopis juliflora. Cashaw, 

 Spines stipulary straight, pinnae 1-2-paired, leaf- 

 lets 18-20 linear subacute glabrous, a sessile glan- 

 dule between each pair of pinnae, spikes cylindrical, 

 legume compressed glabrous. 



Mimosa juliflora, Sivartz, Prod. 85. — M. piliflora, Fl. Ind^ 

 Occ. 986. — Prosopis, De Cand, Prod, II. 447. 



HAB. Common. 



FL. Throughout the year, during dry weather. 



A tree, attaining 30-40 feet in height, with the stem thick^ 

 crooked, rimose: branches long, subvirgate, dift'use, terete, ash- 

 coloured, glabrous, armed with short straight stipulary spines. 



