88 



is a character in the vegetation by which they may be known from 

 Rosaceae. Myroxylon agrees with Samydese in the remarkable glandular 

 marking of the leaves, in which the pellncid spaces are both round and 

 linear — a very singular and uncommon character, which was first pointed 

 out by Mr. Brown. Congo, 444. Very few double flowers are known in 

 this order; those of Spartium junceum and Ulex europseus are the most 

 remarkable : the nature of the latter I have described in detail in the Trans, 

 of the Hart. Soc. vol. 7. p. 237. Two ovaria are common in Wisteria 

 sinensis ; and the same phenomenon is to be seen, according to DecandoUe, 

 in Gleditschia : it appears also to be normal in Diphaca and Csesalpinia 

 digyna. M. Aug. de St. Hilaire is said {Dec. Mem. 52) to have found a 

 Mimosa in Brazil with 5 carpella : on account of these, and other circum- 

 stances, M. DecandoUe assumes the carpellum of Leguminosae to be solitary 

 by abortion, and that a whorl of 5 is that which is necessary to complete 

 the symmetry of the flowers. Of the accuracy of this view I am satisfied ; 

 but I think it might have been proved as satisfactorily from analogy, without 

 the aid of such instances. In consequence of the highly irritable nature 

 of the leaves of many of the plants of this order, and of the tendency to 

 irritability discoverable in them all, some botanists have placed them at the 

 extremity of their system, in contact with the limits of the animal kingdom. 

 See Agardh Classes, p. 4, and Martins, H. R. M. p. 176. For obser- 

 vations upon the nature of this irritability, see Dutrochet stir la Motilite, 

 Paris, 1824, in which the author endeavours to shew that the motion is the 

 effect of galvanic agency; and the same writer's Nouvelles Recherches sur 

 VExosmose, S^-c, in which he alters the explanation of the manner in 

 which galvanism produces' the motion, adhering, however, to his opinion 

 of that subtle principle being the real agent. This ingenious naturalist 

 might have been satisfied with attributing the phenomenon to an inherent 

 vital action, without puzzling himself with a vain search after first causes, 

 which always leaves the most successful inquirer exactly where he set out. 

 For remarks upon the order in general, see M. DecandoUe's valuable Memoire, 

 published at Paris in 1825-6, in one thick volume 4to. The relation that is 

 borne by this order to Chrysobalanese and Amygdalete has been already 

 explained under those orders. To the tribes formerly included under the 

 name of Terebintacese, Leguminosse are nearly allied in many important 

 circumstances, but are distinguished by their stipules, which nevertheless 

 exist in Canarium among Burseraceae, and which do not exist in Sophora, 

 a genuine, and Myrospermum, a spurious Leguminous genus. The affinity 

 of the latter to Amyridese is, however, so great, that it appears to me very 

 (juestionable whether it ought not to be absolutely referred to that order 

 rather than to Leguminosoe, With Xanthoxyleae they are allied through 

 Ailanthus. The monadelphous stamens, irregular flowers, occasional simj)le 

 ovarium, style, and stigma of Polygalese, are all so many points of affinity 

 with Leguminosae. 



In many respects this order is one of the most important which 

 the botanist can study, but especially as it serves to shew how little real 

 importance ought to be attached to dehiscence of fruit in determining the 

 limits of natural orders. What may be called the normal fruit of Legu- 

 minosae is a legume, that is to say, a dry simple ovarium, with a suture 

 running along both its margins, so that at maturity it separates through 

 the middle of each suture into two valves; but every conceivable degree of 

 deviation from this type occurs : the Arachis and many more are indehiscent ; 

 Detarium is drupaceous ; in Carmichaelia the valves sej)arate from the suture, 

 which remains entire, like the replum of Cruciferao ; in all Lomentaceous 

 genera, sugh as Ornithopus, the valves are indehiscent in tlic line of the 



