212 



^2, GLYCINE RUBICUNDA. 



DINGY-FLOWERED GLYCINE. 



This genus contains plants of the shrubby climbing kind. 



It belongs to the class and order Diadelpliia Decandria, and ranks 

 in the natural order of PapUionacea. 



The characters are: that the calyx is a one-leafed, compressed 

 perianlhium : nioulh two-lipped: upper lip cmarginate, obtuse: 

 lower longer, trifid, acute: the middle tooth more produced: the 

 corolla is jjapilionaceous: banner obcordate, the sides bent down, 

 the back gibbous, the tip cmarginate, straight, rej)elled from the 

 keel: wings oblong, towards the tip ovate, small, bent downwards: 

 keel linear, sickle-shaped, bent upwards, at the tip pressing the 

 banner upwards, obtuse, towards the tip broader: the stamina have 

 diadelphous filaments (simple and nine-clefl), only a little divided 

 at the tip, rolled back: anthers simple: the pistillum is an oblong 

 germ: style cylindric, rolled back in a spiral: stigma obtuse: peri- 

 carpium an oblong legume: the seeds kidney-form. 



The species are: 1. G. fnitesceiis. Shrubby Glycine, or Carolina 

 Kidney-bean Tree; 2. G. bimaculata. Two-spotted Glycine; 3. G. 

 ruhicunda. Reddish-flowered Glycine; 4. G. cocciiiea, Scarlet Gly- 

 cine. 



The first has woody stalks, which twist themselves together, and 

 also twine round any trees that grow near, and will rise to the height 

 of fifteen feet or more. The leaves are in shape somewhat like those 

 of the ash-tree, but have a greater number of leaflets. The flowers are 

 produced in clusters from the axils, and are of a purple colour. They 

 are succeeded by long cylindrical legumes, shaped like those of the 

 Scarlet Kidney-bean, containing several seeds, which are never per- 

 fected in this climate. It flowers from June to September. 



