DICOTYLEDONS. 113 



base, entire, glabrous, glands 2, conical ; stipules subulate, decidu- 

 ous ; flowers in 2-4-flowered axillary racemes, |-| in. broad ; sta- 

 mens 10, the 3 upper abortive ; pod linear, erect, slightly curved, 3-4 

 in. long. June-August. Common in waste places. 



3. C. Cham.ecrista L. Lakge-flowered Sensitive-plant. 

 Annual ; stem erect, widely branched and 1-2 ft. high, or nearly 

 simple and 3-5 ft. high, rusty-pubescent or nearly smooth ; leaves 

 very sensitive, petioled ; leaflets aboiit ^ in. long, linear-oblong, 

 mucronate, petiolar gland cup-shaped; stipules nerved, persistent; 

 flowers 2-5 together, on axillary pedicels, 1-H in. wide ; petals 

 yellow, often spatte 1 with purple ; stamens 10, all perfect; legume 

 linear, pubescent, several-seeded. fJune-August. Common in waste 

 places. 



4. C. NiCTiTAxs L. Wild SExsmvE-rLAXT. Annual; widely 

 branched, stem smooth or pubescent, 10-18 in. high ; leaflets 20-40, 

 linear-oblong, mucronate, i-| in. long ; petiolar gland urn-shaped ; 

 stipules persistent, lanceolate, veined ; flowers small, 2-3 together in 

 nearly sessile axillary clusters; stamens 5; legume pubescent, nar- 

 rowly oblong, few-seeded. June-October. Connnon on dry soil. 



III. GLEDITSIA. 



Large trees ; bark dark-colored, m^arly smooth ; leaves 

 usually piiinately decomi)ound ; le«iflets serrate ; flowers polyg- 

 amous, in small spike-like racemes ; calyx spreading, 3-5- 

 cleft; petals as many as the sepals and inserted at the 

 summit of the tube ; stamens 5-10, distinct, inserted with 

 the petals; ovary nearly sessile, ovoid or elongated; fruit a 

 legume, 1 or many-seeded, i»o(l coriaceous. 



(r. TRiACAXTiios L, IIoxEV Loci'ST. A large tree, usually 

 armed with stout, branclied thorns which aic sometimes a foot or 

 more in length ; leaves petioled, decompound; leaflets short-stalked, 

 lanceolate-oblong, bas^ inecpiilateral, smooth above, often ]>ulu'seent 

 below; racemes solitary or in small clusters, dioo])ing; flowers in- 

 conspicuous, greenish ; leguni" litiear-oblong, often 12-15 in. long 

 by 1 in. wide, twiste 1, many-seeded, glabrous and shiny. l>ulpy 

 within. June-July. In rich woods. [The thorns aie plainly modi- 

 fied branches bearing dormant buds, and often ])arlially dev«'loped 

 leaves. The early s])ring leaves are usnally oidy once compounded, 

 while those of later growth an' ainiosi invariably deeoni|tound. 

 Often a singh' leaf will show both forms of ct)nipounding.J 



