42 MIMOS.E. [part I. 



ter, a shows the calyx, which is five-toothed, 

 and h the petals, which are five in number and 

 %a\.. c quite regular in shape; c are the 

 >l'^||l?fj^1|, stamens, which vary from ten to 

 •■^ two hundred in each flower, and 

 which are raised so high above the 

 petals as to give a light and tuft- 

 like appearance to the whole flower. 

 iG. i6.-flo\ver Yi\Q leg^umes are very large in pro- 



OF Acacia iMAG- ^ ^ j <d \. 



xiFiKD. portion to the flower ; and conse- 

 quently, by a wise provision of nature, only a 

 very few of the flowers produce seed. The 

 valves of the legumes are not fleshy like those of 

 the pea, but dry and hard, and w4ien they open 

 they do not curl back. 



The flowers in the diff'erent kinds of Acacia, 

 differ in the corolla, which has sometimes 

 only four petals, which are occasionally united 

 at the base, and in the calyx, which is sometimes 

 only four- cleft. The flowers also in many 

 species are in spikes instead of balls. 



The rest of the plant of Acacia armata is 

 very curious ; what appear to be the leaves (see 

 d 'va.Jig. 1 5) are, in f^ict, only the petioles of the 

 leaves dilated into what are called phyllodia ; 

 the true leaves, which were of the kind called 

 bi-pinnate, having fallen off, or never unfolded. 

 The true leaves, however, often appear on 

 seedling plants ; and thus, when seeds are sown 



