THE PEA FAMILY. 



129 



f 

 sc 



the others, and there is no tme ^ keeL" The stamen* 

 are irregular, being unequal (s.a. and s.b.). some being 

 reduced to staminodes (s.c). The fruit is a pod or 

 l^Time, as in the first sub- 

 order. 



Aca'cia. — This is a 

 good type of the third 

 sub-order. The flowers 

 are minute, forming dense 

 vellow clusters ; they are 

 quite regular. The calyx 

 forms a little tube (Fig. 

 52, I.) ; the five petals 

 do not overlap, but just 

 meet by their edges, being 

 valvate (I.). The stamens 

 are numerous, and the 

 pistil forms the character- 

 istic legume common to 

 the whole family (Fig. 

 52, III.). 



The species consist of 

 trees and shrubs; the 

 majority have no leaf- 

 blades, but only petioles, 



which, however, are flattened in a vertical position, and 

 called phyllod€s. The use of this, as stated with 

 regaixi to the sleep of plants (p. 4), is to avoid loss 



