504 Transactions. — Botany. 



tremely minute. The whole calyx may be glabrous, silky, or 

 puberulous. 



The standard in most species is longer than broad, and is 

 invariably reflexed ; in a few species it is broader than long, 

 the lobes being slightly auricled at the base. It may be 

 entire or emarginate. The wings are usually linear and 

 auricled, the length of the narrow claw varying in the 

 different species ; usually they are shorter than the keel, 

 in a few species they exceed it. The keel is usually 

 slightly longer than the style, which is enclosed by it at least 

 before anthesis ; in one or two instances the two petals of 

 which it consists show an obvious want of cohesion at the 

 apex. The stamens are invariably diadelphous, the filaments 

 being slightly unequal in length, but the free portion is 

 very short, so that the tube invariably encloses the style, 

 except at its apex. The ovary may be nearly globose or 

 oblong, and is rarely stipitate ; the style may be straight or 

 curved, and is usually naked, but in one or two species it is 

 sparsely ciliated although not bearded (C. kirkii). The number 

 of ovules is extremely variable. Normally the ovary is glabrous 

 in all species of Carmichaelia, but occasionally several species 

 develope few or many silky or pilose ovaries ; this condition 

 is, however, never permanent."'' 



The most valuable characters for differentiation of the 

 species are afforded by the pods ; in most species identifica- 

 tion is difficult and uncertain in their absence. On the other 

 hand, the pod alone is sufficient for positive identification in 

 the majority of species (C. monroi, C. ivilliamsii, C. kirkii, 

 &c.) The pods may be erect (C. odorata), or spreading {C. 

 australis), or pendulous (C. monroi). They may be turgid 

 (C. ivilliamsii), rounded {C. kirkii), or much compressed (C. 

 angiistata), elongate, elliptical, or subglobose, while the beak 

 may be straight and well developed, oblique, or curved, or 

 almost obsolete. The valves are excessively rugose or corru- 

 gated (C. monroi), faintly reticulate, or almost smooth (C. aus- 

 tralis). In some species the pods are 1 -seeded, others 

 exhibit from two to twelve seeds in each pod. The seeds are 

 reniform or subreniform, rounded or compressed, mottled or 

 perfectly black {C. nnna), rarely red (C. australis). In all the 

 species the radicle exhibits a double flexure. 



In most cases the seeds are liberated by the valves dehis- 

 cing along the replum and falling away ; sometimes the seeds 

 remain attached to the placentas for weeks, or even months, 

 after the valves have fallen (C robusta). In a few cases the 

 valves open at the base or apex only, and are not separable 

 for their entire length. 



* The same phenomenon is often exhibited by Festuca pratensis, L. 



