III.] LEGUMINOS/E. 199 



Of Timber-trees, the more important arc the cabinet 

 Rosewoods, afforded by Brazilian species of Da/bergia. 

 The same genus includes some valuable Indian timber- 

 trees, especially D. Sissoo. The wood of the Tamarind is 

 sometimes used in cabinet-work. 



Of Food-producing plants, the more important are the 

 Pea, Bean, Lentils, Haricots, and Kidney-beans, Ground 

 Nut (Arachis)^ Gram {Cicer), and Pigeon Pea {Cajanus). 



Of Dyes we have, of first importance, the Indian product 

 Indigo, obtained by decomposing the herbage of species 

 of Lidigofera; Red Sanders-wood, afforded by Pterocarpus 

 saf^talimis, and Sappan-wood by CcBsalpifiia Sappan^ both 

 large trees of the Peninsula; Logwood, by the Central 

 American Hce7natoxylon. 



Crotalaria juncea^ the Sunn Hemp, is an annual, largely 

 grown in India for the sake of the tenacious hemp-like 

 fibre afforded by the bark of its long shoots. 



Many of the Leguminosae are serviceable in medicine, 

 and some afford resins balsams, or astringent gums, as the 

 Dhak, which is one of the Indian lac-producing trees, and 

 the Catechu {Acacia Catechu) ; the latter a powerful astrin- 

 gent, the resin of which is obtained by boiling the wood. 

 It is exported to England for the use of tanners. 



The familiar irritability of the compound leaves of the 

 Humble and Sensitive plants is but an extreme case of the 

 condition (called the sleep) exhibited by many of the 

 Leguminosae, the Sorrels, &c., the leaflets of which fold 

 together in the evening and remain closed until morning. 

 The Indian species of the genus Acacia, closely allied to 

 Mimosa, are characterised by highly compound (twice 

 pinnate) leaves. It is remarkable that in Australia, where 

 this genus has its head-quarters, a large proportion of the 

 species have leaves wholly destitute of a blade, being 



