226 Plants and their Ways in South Africa 



AA. Stamens monadelphous, forming a split tube. Shrubs 

 or herbs with simple or palmately compound leaves. 



Crotalaria. — Legume swollen Cnot flat), kept sharply 

 beaked. 



A large genus of shrubs with simple or compound leaves, and yellow, 

 rarely purple, flowers in few-flowered racemes. , 



Aspalathus. — Calyx 

 nearly regular. Flowers usu- 

 ally yellow. 



Shrubby plants with heath-like 

 tufted leaflets on a prominent 

 cushion, which is often spine- 

 pointed. The stems are often pale 

 with brown markings. 



AAA. Stamens diadel- 

 phous. Ovary i-ovuled. 



Psoralea. — Calyx con- 

 cealing the pod, the lower 

 lobe longer and broader than 

 the others. Flowers purple, 

 blue, or white. 



sc 



s.a 



Fig. 222. — Cassia aracJioides. ' Vertical sec- 

 tion of flower : sa, large stamens ; sb, small 

 stamens ; sc, staminodes. (From Edmonds 

 and Marloth's "Elementary Botany for 

 South Africa.") 



A large genus of shrubs or herbs, with pinnate or trifoliate leaves, 

 rarely one foliate, with stipules, and commonly marked with black resinous 

 dots. Strongly scented. Common, often along water-courses. 



AAAA. Stamens diadelphous. Ovary 2- to several-ovuled. 



B. Small herbs, erect or trailing, but not climbing. Leaves 

 3-, rarely 5-foliate. 



Trifolium. — Calyx showy after flowering, concealing the 

 fruit. Keel joined to the wings. Flowers small, red, white, 

 or yellow, in dense spikes or heads. Leaves usually 3-foliate, 

 stipules joined to the petiole. Herbaceous annual or perennial. 

 The clovers belong to this genus. 



Medicago. — Legume not hidden, spirally coiled. Keel 

 free from the wings. Lucerne belongs to this genus. 



Indigofera. — Flowers red, purple, or w^hite. Standard 

 bent back. Keel with a spur at each side. Anthers with a 



