44 C^SALPINE^. [part i. 



There are above three hundred known species 

 of Acacia. 



The genus Mimosa differs from Acacia in the 

 corolla being funnel-shaped, and four or five 

 cleft. There are seldom above fifteen stamens, 

 which are generally on longer filaments than 

 those of the Acacia ; and the legume is com- 

 pressed and jointed or articulated between the 

 seeds, so that the part which contains one seed 

 may be broken off, ^vithout tearing the rest. 

 The Sensitive-plant {Mimosa pudica) is a famiHar 

 example of this genus. 



The cotyledons of the plants belonging to this 

 tribe are generally leafy ; and the seeds are not 

 eatable. The plants themselves are easily re- 

 cognised by their ball or tassel-shaped heads 

 or spikes of flowers ; by the small cup-shape 

 and inconspicuous corolla of each ; by the grea 

 number and length of the stamens ; and by 

 their bi-pinnate leaves, or phyllodia supplying 

 the place of leaves — though the phyllodia are 

 sometimes found in Australian plants with 

 papilionaceous flowers, as, for example, mBossicca 

 ensata. 



TRIBE III.— C^SALPINEtE. 



The flowers of the plants contained in this 

 tribe have generally five regular, widely spread- 

 ing petals, which are never joined together ; 



