656 XLVir. LEGUMiNos^. [Mtmosa. 



(i) M. pudica Linn. Sp. PI. 518; Prain, I.e. 247. 



Low under-shrub up to 2 ft. tall, prickly and bristly. Leaves 

 very sensitive of 4 digitate pinnae, sessile on a 2-in. petiole ; pinnae 

 2 to 3 in. long; leaflets 12 to 20 pairs bristly beneath. Heads in 

 pairs, axillary, rose pink, "35 in. long; peduncles i in. long. 

 Stamens 4. Pods "6 to i in. long, '2 in. across, of 3 to 5 joints, 

 sutures persistent, bristly. The sensitive plant. Native name : 

 Samalu. Hab. Abundant all over the peninsula. Introduced from 

 America in the i6th century. 



(2) M. sepiaria Benth. Hook. Journ. Bot. iv. 595 ; Prain, I.e. 

 247. 



A thorny shrub. Stem about 4 ft. tall and 6 in. through; 

 branches long, erect. Leaves, rachis downy, 2 in. long; pinnae 

 6- to 8-paired, not sensitive, i'5 in. long, pubescent above; leaflets 

 12 to 20 pairs, coriaceous, ligulate, "2 to "3 in. long, 'i to 'i$ in. 

 wide, tip sub-acute, base oblique, truncate, sessile. Panicles 6 to 

 8 in. long, of heads "25 in. through ; rachis puberulous ; peduncles 

 *5 to 75 in. long. Corolla "05 in. long, white. Stamens8 to 10. Pod 

 black, straight, i'5 to 2 in. long, '25 in. wide, joints 6 to 8, sutures 

 unarmed. Hah. Damp ground. Singapore, chiefly at Tanglin. 

 An escape from cultivation. Disirib. Also an escape in China and 

 Borneo. Use : As a hedge plant and firewood. 



63. ACACIA, Willd. 



Spiny or thorny trees or shrubs, erect or climbing. Leaves 

 bipinnate ; leaflets narrow, very small. Flowers in globose heads 

 or spikes. Calyx campanulate or funnel-shaped, short-toothed. 

 Petals exsert, united in lower half. Stamens free, exsert ; anthers 

 not gland-crested. Ovary stalked or not ; style filiform ; stigma 

 minute. Pod ligulate or oblong, not jointed, dehiscent or not, 

 rarely sub-cylindric. Species 430, cosmopolitan, mostly Australian. 



Erect shrubs, thorny. 



Pods cylindric, fleshy ; flowers orange . . (i) A. Farnesiana 



Climbing shrubs, thorny. 

 Pods flat ; flowers white. 



Flower-heads -4 in. long; leaves narrow oblong (2) A. pseudo-intsia 

 Flower-heads -2 in. across; leaflets linear. . (3) A. pennata 



(i) A. Farnesiana Willd. Sp. PL iv. 1083 ; Prain, I.e. 248. 



A thorny shrub. Leaves bipinnate; rachis downy, i to i'5 in. 

 long; pinnae 6 to 16, from i to 1-5 in. long; leaflets 10 to 20 pairs, 

 green coriaceous, linear-oblong, '25 in. long, 'O^ in. wide. Stipules 

 forming white thorns i in. long. Capitula '35 in. through, orange 

 yellow, fragrant. Pod thick, cylindric, 2 to 3 in. long, '5 in. thick, 

 pulpy, dark brown or black. Seeds 12 to 18, ovate. Hab. Sandy 

 open places, probably introduced. Pahang near Pekan. Selangor, 

 Kwala Selangor near the fort. Penang (Porter, Wall. Cat. 5264F). 



