58 



BRITISH FLOWERING PLANTS 



brown seeds. The plant grows to the height of 

 two or three feet. 



There are many other important plants, British 

 and foreign, belonging to the Leguminosce. 

 Among useful cultivated plants we have the Peas 

 and Beans, both remarkable for the sweet odour 

 of the flowers, though the variegated Sweet Peas of 

 our gardens are mostly scentless. Lentils may also 

 be mentioned. A species of Acacia is now largely 

 grown as an ornamental tree : its large compound 

 leaves and clusters of white flowers are very hand- 

 some ; but it is somewhat a disadvantage that it 

 comes into leaf late, and sheds its leaves early. 

 From an African Acacia gum-arabic is obtained. 

 Gum-tragacanth is also obtained from an Arabian 

 species of the genus Astragalus ; and senna-leaves 

 from various species of Cassia. Several important 

 fruit-trees belong to the same family, such as the 

 Tamarind and the Locust-tree. 



The Locust-tree, Carob, or St. John's Bread, is 

 a tree common round the Mediterranean, which 

 bears large pods filled with sweet pulp between 



the hard seeds. The pods are eaten by the natives 

 where the tree grows, and are also used for feeding 

 cattle. They are supposed to be " the husks that 

 the swine did eat " in the parable of the Prodigal 

 Son ; and the name " St. John's Bread " is derived 

 from the strange idea that it was the fruit of the 

 so-called "Locust-tree" on which John the Baptist 

 fed in the wilderness. Very possibly the fruit may 

 have formed part of his diet ; but as locusts them- 

 selves are a staple article of food among desert 

 tribes in the East, there is not the slightest reason 

 to suppose that St. John did not eat the insects 

 themselves. 



The Mimosas or Sensitive Plants are also inter- 

 esting ; they are natives of India, Africa, and 

 Australia. They are shrubs or small trees, usually 

 with bipinnate leaves. When the leaves are touched, 

 the leaflets close up, and the entire leaf sinks down, 

 and only resumes its natural position after some 

 little time. 



There are probably few places more attractive 

 to an entomologist than a Clover-field in full 

 flower. Not only do the larvae of a great number 



