Euonymus.] LEGUMINOS/E. 7 «* 



the margin of the disk. Capsules with 3 — 5 angles, and as 

 many cells and valves. Seeds with a coloured fleshy arillus. — 

 Named from Euonyme, Mother to the Furies, in allusion to 

 the injurious effects of the fruit produced by this plant. 



Pcntandria. Monogynia. 



I.E. europcEus,'Liim. Common Spindle-tree. Flowers mostly 

 tetrandrous; petals acute; branches glabrous; leaves ovato- 

 lanceolate, minutely serrated. Br. Fl. 1. p. 104. E. Fl. v. i. 

 p. 329. E. Bot. t. 362. 



Abundant on limestone rocks near Galway, and at the Dargle, &c. 

 On inaccessible cliffs on Cave-hill, near Belfast; Mr. F. Whitla. 

 Fl. May. f? .—Shrub three to five feet high. Bark green, smooth. 

 Leaves glabrous. Peduncle bearing a few-flowered umbel. Flowers 

 small, white. Fruit obtusely angular, very beautiful, rose-coloured. 

 Arillus orange-coloured. The berries and even leaves are said to be 

 dangerous, and the whole plant is fetid. Of the tough white wood 

 skewers and spindles are made, and Linnaeus tells us it affords the best 

 charcoal for drawing-. 



Ord. 26. LEGUMINOSiE. Juss. Pea Family. 



Calyx 5-parted, toothed or cleft, free, with the odd segment 

 anterior, the segments often unequal and variously combined. 

 Petals 5, or, by imperfection, 4, 3, 2, 1, or none, inserted into 

 the base of the calyx, either papilionaceous or regularly spread- 

 ing, the odd petal posterior. Stamens definite or indefinite, 

 perigynous, either distinct or monadelphous or diadelphous, 

 very seldom triadelphous ; anthers versatile. Ovary simple, 

 superior, 1-celled, I — or many-seeded ; style simple, proceeding 

 from the upper margin of the ovary; stigma simple. Fruit 

 either a legume or a drupe. Seeds attached to the upper suture, 

 solitary or several, occasionally with an arillus ; embrj'O gene- 

 rally destitute of albumen, straight or with the radicle bent upon 

 the cotyledons ; cotyledons either remaining under ground in 

 germination, or elevated above the ground and becoming green, 

 like leaves. — Shrubs, trees, or herbaceous plants. Leaves compound, 

 with stipnlx at the base of the petiole and of each leaflet. Petiole 

 usually tumid at the base. Flowers axillary, either solitary, or in 

 racemes or panicles. 



One of the most extensive, and at the same time the most 

 important, on account of its useful products, of all the Natural 

 Orders. Many of them yield food for man ; others for cattle. 



§ Lotea:. De Cand. 



Corolla papilionaceous. Stamens either monadelphous or 

 diadelphous. Pod continuous, 1-celled, or occasionally 2-celled, 

 in consequence of the bending inwards of one of the sutures. 



i 



