84 THE STORY OF PLANT. LIFE 
THE PEA AND VETCH GROUP. 
A well-marked characteristic of the order Legumi- 
nosze, as the name implies, is the legume or pod-like 
nature of the seed-vessel. 
It is a large order comprising four thousand 
species and four hundred and forty genera, found in 
all parts of the world, being in fact the second 
largest order of plants. It is divided into three sub- 
orders, Papilionacez, to which all the British species 
belong, having a papilionaceous corolla, imbricate in 
the bud, the odd petal being posterior, Cesalpinee, 
having the odd petal anterior, and also imbricate in 
the bud, and Mimosez, with a valvate corolla. The 
Papilionacez are mainly found in temperate regions, 
whilst the others are largely tropical. 
The British plants included in this order are 
Gorse, Dyer’s Greenweed, Broom, Rest Harrow, 
Lupin, Medick, Melilot, Clovers, Fenugreek, Bird’s 
Foot Trefoil, Lady’s Fingers, Oxytropis, Milk Vetch, 
Vetches, Vetchlings, Bird’s Foot, Horseshoe Vetch, 
Sainfoin, and of several of these there are a number 
of different species. 
They exhibit great variety in form and colour of 
flowers, etc. Some are shrubs, most are climbers 
or trailers, or dwarf, bushy plants, and mainly 
herbaceous. | 
A few such as the Locust Tree attain to the tree 
size and habit, but these are foreign. It is said that 
