560 POLYANDRIA MONOGYNIA. MtmOSa. 



tree, or large ramous shrub, Avith numerous, interwoven, 

 flexuose branches, co\ ered with a dark brown bark, dot- 

 ted with white. 



Spines united at the base often very larjje, round, ta- 

 perins: to an acute, hard, brown point, the rest white, and 

 smooth, particuhirly when young. Inwardly hollow, and 

 the habitation of ants. From the fork, where the two 

 unite, often a small branchlet, or leaf issues. Leaves bi- 

 piunate, in the young growing shoots they are solitary, 

 from the fork of the spines all over the older branches seve- 

 ral are frequently found together. Pinn(B from three to five 

 pair, opposite and rarely an inch long. Leaflets from ten 

 to twelve pair, minute, smooth. Petioles common, acute, 

 pointed, with a gland on the upper side a little below the 

 first pair of pinnae. Stipules no other than the spines. Pe- 

 duncles generally in pairs, from the axills of the spines, 

 and mixed with leaves, short. Spikes cylindric, about 

 as long as the leaves. Flowers polyandrous, rather re- 

 mote, fragrant, pure white when they first expand, but 

 becoming yellow. Cahjx minute, from four to five-tooth- 

 ed. Corol three or four times longer than the calyx, from 

 four to five cleft. Stamens numerous, distinct. Germ ob- 

 liquely oval. Style crooked, as long as the stamens. Le- 

 gume thin, broad-falcate, three or four-seeded. 



33. M. fera. Lour. Cochin Ch. 801. 



Thorns solitary, often much branched. Leaves bipin- 

 nate and pinnate ; when bipinnate Wiepinnce are from four 

 to eight pairs ; leaflets sub-alternate, from six to ten pairs. 

 Spikes axillary, cylindric; Corollets with from five to 

 ten stamina. Legumes long, linear, variously bent. 



Gleditsia horrida. Willd. 4. 1098. 



A native of China and Cochin China ; young trees 

 reared in the Botanic garden at Calcutta, from seeds of 

 Gleditshia triacanthos received from America, do not 

 in any respect diflfer from our China plant, which is 



