302 XL. LEGUMiNOS^. [Jcacia, 



portionally more dilated at the end, where they are usually ciliate and sometimes acuminate. 

 The characters derived from the united or free sepals must be used with caution, for the 

 sepals, at first united, often separate as the flowering advances. The fonns assumed by the 

 pod are tolerably constant in species, although rarely available for classing them in groups; 

 so it is also with the seeds, transverse or longitudinal^ and with the infinite variety of forms 

 assumed by the fuuicle. This funiclc on the ripe seed rarely remains short and filiform, it 

 almost always forms two or three folds under the seed, the end of the last fold or the while 

 of the last and more or less of the lower folds being thickened into a variously-shaped small 

 fleshy aril, usually described as a strophiole, but always a part of the fanicle and continnoua 

 with the lower filiform part, or forming the whole funicle ; occasionally the thickened part 

 is much elongated extending round one side of the seed, returningon the same side and form- 

 ing another double fold oa the other side, or completely encircling the seed in a double fold 

 returning on the same side, or extending twice round without a return, or even encircling it 

 in a triple fold. All these and other modifications appear to be constant in each species, but 

 ouly rarely available for specific diagnosis, for in many species the funicle is as yet unknown ; 

 it is often unsafe to rely on it unless the seed is quite ripe, and then the thin part of the 

 funicle is so brittle that it is often destroyed merely by the elastic opening of the pod. 



■ 



Leaves all or mosfly reduced to fiat terete or siihidate jphijllodla or yninuie scales with- 

 out leaflets. (Phyllodineae.) 



riowxrs in globular heads. 



Phyllodia none or reduced to minute scales. 



Branches spincscent . 11. A, spinescens. 



Branches rush-like, not spinescent IV. CALAMiFOKii£S. 



Phyllodia (either small and tooth-like or vertically flattened or 

 elongated) decurrent on or continuous with the branches. 

 Branches flat or 2-winged by the decurrent phyllodia ... I. Alat.«. 

 Branches 3-winged or the phyllodia (usually pungent) very 



shortly or scarcely decurrent," but not articulate .... II. CoNTiNaE. 

 Phyllodia articulate on the stems, at least when old. 



Phyllodia rigid, tapering into pungent straight points, usually 



narrow or short, not whorled (except in 43, A. vertlciilata) III. Puxgentes. 

 Phyllodia linear-subulate, terete or tetragonous, rarely slightly 

 flattened, obtuse or with incurved or innocuous points, not 

 whorled IV, Calamitormes. ^ 



Phyllodia terete or slightly flattened, usually short, all whorled 



or crowded and irregulai-ly whorled or clustered .... V. Brunioide^. 

 Phyllodia vertically flattened, broader than thick, obtuse acute 

 or with incurved or innocuous points. 

 Phyllodia l-nerved, the veins pinnate, reticulate or rarely 1 

 or 2 secondary small nerves from the base on one side of 



the midrib " . VI. ITntnervls. 



Phyllodia with 2, 3 or more parallel nerves ! ! . ! . VII. Plurinervks. 

 Flowers in cylindrical or oblong spikes. 



Phyllodia rigid, tapering into pungent points. 



Phyllodia several-nerved, decurrent on the stem .... 10. i. tnpiera- 



Phyllodia J- or 3-uerved, articulate on the stem HI. Puxgentes, 



Phyllodia obtuse or with a callous, innocuous or hooked point . VIII. Juliflor^. 



Leaves all bipinnaie. Flowers in ghlular heads or rarely in spikes, (Bipi»aa**') 



Stipules noue or brown and scarious. Spines none or axillary. „.r« 



riower-heads several, in axillary or paniculate racemes ... IX. Botryocefha 

 • Flower-heads or spikes single, on axillary solitary or clustered 



peduncles X. Pulcheli.*. 



Stipules all or some of them spinescent. llower-heads' single on 



axillary peduncles , , XL Gummifek^*^. 



