46 C.-ESALPINE^. [pakt i. 



of plants belonging to this division. The leaves 

 are bi-pinnate, and the stem is spiny. 



The Carob-tree, or St. John's bread {Ceratonia 

 siliqua), agrees with the Barbadoes Flower-fence 

 in the pulpy matter dividing the seeds, though 

 it differs widely in its flowers, which are without 

 petals, and do not possess any beauty. The 

 pulp of the pods of the Carob tree is eatable ; 

 but that of Poinciana is said to be injurious. 

 The pod of the Tamarind (Tamarindus indica) 

 differs from the preceding species in having the 

 pulpy matter of its pods contained between the 

 outer and inner skin of each valve, like the 

 fleshy substance in the pod of the pea, instead 

 of serving as a bed for the seeds. The flowers 

 of the tamarind have five equal petals of a 

 brownish yellow, three of them being streaked 

 with pink ; and the anthers are nearly rose- 

 colour. The stamens and the style both curve 

 upwards. It is the pods prepared with sugar 

 that form what we call Tamarinds. In Cassia 

 lanceolata^ the leaves of which furnish senna, the 

 flowers have a bright yellow corolla of five con- 

 cave petals, three of which are somewhat laro^er 

 than the others. The stamens are also unequal 

 in length ; and the style curves upwards. The 

 legume is kidney-shaped, and the cells are 

 divided from each other by thin membraneous 

 partitions. The Gleditschia or Honey Locusts, 



