PROSOPIS. 



A tree often 30 feet high, or a large bush. Branches very long, 

 straggling, spiny, smooth ; spines stipulary, in pairs, 4-5 lines lono-, 

 strong, pointing upwards. Leaves bipinnate ; 2 pairs of pinna? ; 18-20 

 pairs of leaflets, oblong, obtuse, veiny, smooth. A roundish, depressed, 

 solitary gland at the base, between the petioles of the partial leaves. 

 Spikes axillary, 2-3 from the same bud as the leaves, stalked, 2-3 

 inches long, many-flowered, sub-cylindrical, yellow, fragrant. Corolla 

 villous inside. Pod 3-5 inches long, compressed, often twisted, smooth, 

 many-seeded. Seeds separated by fleshy contractions, oblong, brown. 

 — Leaves and twigs fatal to cattle which browse upon them, unless 

 they are accustomed to them. Legumes although sweet also held to be 

 noxious. Swartz. This is however denied by Dr. Macfadyen, who says 

 that the young shoots leaves and pods are very nutritious, and are 

 browsed upon with impunity by stock of every kind, during dry weather, 

 and the pods are said to be as nutritious as corn. After rains he states 

 that the pods do become pernicious, and are fatal to horses. This he 

 ascribes to the seeds, at that time prepared to sprout, germinating in 

 the stomach and giving off carbonic acid which induces inflammation 

 of the stomach and bowels. Great quantities of " gum having all the 

 properties of gum arabic " may be obtained by wounding the stem and 

 large branches. 



INGA. 



Flowers polygamous, hermaphrodite and male. Calyx 5- 

 toothed. Petals 5, united into a 5-cleft corolla. Stamens nu- 

 merous, protruded, monadelphous at the base or sometimes for 

 nearly their whole length. Legume broadly linear, compressed, 

 1 -celled. Seeds covered usually with pulp, more rarely with a 

 pellicle or farinaceous matter. — Shrubs or trees, usually un- 

 armed. Flowers spiked or capitate, red or white. W. and A. 



569. I. Sassa Willd. iv. 1027. DC. prodr. ii. 440. — Sassa 

 Bruce trav. abyss, v. t. 4, 5. — Abyssinia. 



Leaves 2-pinnate ; 3 or 4 pairs of pinnae ; 12 pairs of leaflets which 

 are oblong-obovate. Flowers in panicled umbels. Stamens mona- 

 delphous beyond the corolla ; in some flowers short, in others verv 

 long. — According to Bruce this tree exudes gum in such quantity as 

 to appear deformed by the size of the concretions. Guibourt says he 

 met with a case of it called Gum Tragacanth and he reckons it among 

 the false Tragacanths. 



570. I. fagifolia — Mimosa fagifolia Linn. sp. 1498. Tnga 

 marginata Willd. iv. 1015. Mimosa Bourgoni Aubl. ii. t. 358. 

 I. Bourgoni DC. prodr. ii. 434. — Guiana and some of the West 

 India Islands, as Barbadoes. 



A tree 30-40 feet high. Leaflets 2-3 pairs, ovate, shining, smooth ; 

 petiole somewhat winged, with distinct glands at the ends of the joints. 

 Spikes axillary, about 4 together, short. Flowers white. Legume 

 dry, 2-valved, containing many, green, compressed, quadrangular seeds 

 enveloped in a white membrane. — Bark acrid and astringent. 



571. I. Unguis Cati Willd. iv. 1006. DC. prodr. ii. 436. 

 Macfady. i. 306. — Mimosa Unguis Cati Linn. sp. pi. 499. 

 Jacq. schonbr. ii. t. 34. Descourt.fi. ant. i. t. 11. (Quamochitl 

 Hernandez 94.) — West Indies and adjacent mainland, common. 



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