CHAP. II.] PAPILIONACEOUS FLOWERS. 39 



vary very iuuch in size and form ; being some- 

 times nearly round, and only one or two-seeded; 

 and in others long, and containing many seeds, 

 as in the common bean or pea. The seeds 

 themselves are so different that the tribe has 

 been divided, on account of them, into two 

 sections : the one consisting of those plants 

 which, like the common bean, have the seed 

 dividing into two fleshy seed-leaves or cotyledons, 

 when it begins to germinate ; and the other, 

 the seed-leaves of which are thin. The seeds of 

 the papilionaceous plants which have thin coty- 

 ledons are not eatable ; but those with fleshy 

 cotyledons may be safely used as food. The 

 fleshy cotyledons do not always rise above the 

 ground ; but they do so decidedly in the bean 

 and the lupine ; and if either of these seeds be 

 laid in moist soil with the hilum or scar down- 

 w^ards, the seed, as soon as it begins to ger- 

 minate, will divide into two parts (that is, into 

 two cotyledons), which wall rise above the 

 ground, and become green like leaves ; though, 

 from still retaining their roundish form, they 

 are easily distinguished from the true leaves, 

 which rise in the centre. Though my readers 

 will have no difficulty in recognising most of the 

 Leguminosse which have papilionaceous flowers, 

 there are some genera, respecting which they 

 may be interested to learn a few particulars. 



