PEA AND BEAN TRIBE 173 



The Peas, Beans, Scarlet Eunners, and other plants which supply our 

 tables, need hardly be named as leguminous plants ; their pods at once 

 declare it. Some foreign leguminous plants have their pods somewhat in 

 the shape of a drupe ; others retain the pod, but have not the papilionaceous 

 flowers. Not so with our native species ; they have all the butterfly-shaped 

 blossoms, and, except that their pods are occasionally, as in the Bird's-foot, 

 jointed, or as in the Medick, spirally twisted, there is little variation in their 

 characteristic features. They are mostly herbaceous, the Broom and Furze 

 being the only British leguminous plants which are shrubby. The Order is 

 divided into several groups. 



Group I. The Lotus Group (Lotece). 

 Legume not jointed ; leaves simple, of 3 leaflets, or pinnate, with an odd 

 leaflet. 



* Leaves simple, m' of 3 leaflets ; stamens all united by their filaments. 



\. Furze {Jjlex). — Calyx of 2 lips, with 2 minute bracts at the base; 

 legume swollen, few-seeded, scarcel}'- longer than the calyx. Name from the 

 Celtic ec or ac, a sharp point. 



2. Green-weed {Genista). — Calyx 2-lipped, the upper lip 2-cleft, the 

 lower with 3 teeth ; standard oblong ; style awl-shaped ; legume swollen, or 

 flat. Name from the Celtic gen, a shrub. 



3. Broom (Sarothdmnus). — Calyx 2-lipped, the upper lip with 2, the lower 

 with 3 teeth ; standard broadly ovate ; style thickened upwards ; legume 

 flat, many-seeded. Name, from saroo, to sweep, and thamnos, a shrub. 



4. Rest-harrow (Ondnis). — Calyx 5-cleft, with very narrow segments ; 

 keel beaked ; style thread-like ; legume swollen, few-seeded. Name from the 

 Greek oiws, an ass, because eaten by that animal. 



* * Leaves of 3 leaflets ; stamens in 2 sets of 9 and 1. 



5. Medick (Afedicdgo). — Legume sickle-shaped, or spirally twisted. Name 

 of Greek origin, signifying that some species was brought from Media. 



6. Melilot (Melildtus). — Calyx with 5 nearly equal teeth ; petals distinct, 

 soon falling off"; legume of few seeds, longer than the calyx. Name from 

 mel, honey, and lotus, the plant of that name. 



7. Fenugreek (TrigonSlla). — Calyx 5-toothed, teeth nearly equal; petals 

 distinct ; legume ste"aight, or slightly curved, many-seeded, and twice as long ■ 

 as the calyx. Name from the Greek treis, three, and gonia, an angle, from 

 the triangular appearance of its corolla. 



8. Trefoil (Trifdlium). — Calyx with 5 unequal teeth ; petals combined 

 by their claws, and persistent ; legume of few seeds, concealed in the calyx. 

 Name from tria, three, and folium, a leaf. 



9. Bird's-foot Trefoil (Ldtus). — Calyx with 5 nearly equal teeth; 

 legume cylindrical, many-seeded, and imperfectly many-celled. Name from 

 the Greek lotos. 



* * * Leaves pinnate, with a terminal leaflet. 



10. Lady's Fingers (Anthyllis). — Stamens all united by their filaments ; 

 calyx inflated, 5-toothed; legume enclosed in the calyx. Name from the 

 Greek anthos, a flower, and ioulos, down, from the downy calyx. 



