446 



2. SOPHORA TETRAPTERA. 



WINGED-PODDED SOPHORA . ; 



Tins genus contains plants of the herbaceous, flowery, perennial, 

 and shrubby exotic kinds. 



It belongs to the class and order Decaiuhia Monogijuia, and ranks 

 in the natu a! orde • of Papi iouncece or Lcgii/iiiiioaa. 



The characters arc: that the calyx is a one-leafed perianth, 

 short, bell-shaped, gibbous at the l)ase above : mouth five- 

 toothed, oblique, obtuse: the cor ilia papilionaceous, five-petalled: 

 standard oblong, gradually wider, straight, retlexed at the sides: 

 wings two, oblong, appendicled at the base, leiigih of the standard: 

 keel two-petalled, with the petals conforinaijje to the wings, the 

 lower margins approximating and boat-sha|)ed : the stamina have 

 ten filaments, distinct, parallel, awl-shaped, length of the corolla 

 within the keel: anthers very small, rising: the pislilluin is an 

 oblong germ, cylindrical: style size and situation of the stamens: 

 stigma obtuse: the pericarpium is a legume very long, slender, one- 

 celled, knobbed at the seeds: the seeds very many, roundish. 



The species cultivated are: \. S. tdraptera, \Ving-})odded So- 

 phora; 2. S. microphylla, Small-leaved Shrubl:)y Sophora; 3. S. alope- 

 caroides, Fox-tail Sophora; 4.5. australis. Blue Sophora; 5. S. tinc- 

 toria. Dyer's Sophora; 6. S. alba, White Sophora; 7. S. toinenfosa, 

 Downy Sophora; S. S. occidenialis. Occidental Sophora; ^). S. japo- 

 nica. Shining-leaved Sophora; 10. S. capensis. Vetch-leaved Sophora; 

 11. S. aiirea. Golden- flowered Sophora; 12. S. ttif/rtilUjolia, Round- 

 leaved Sophora. 



The first is a magnificent tree, displaying its pendulous branches 

 of large golden flowers in May and June. It is a native of New 

 Zealand. 



