535 



amples of the order are Bauhinia, Hymeneea, Casalpinia, 

 Cassia, perhaps Securidaca ; from which Ceratonia, Mi- 

 mosa, Gleditsia, &c. considerably recede in character, 

 though less in habit. Cercis ought to be ranged with 

 Anagyris, Sophora, &c. either in the preceding order, or 

 rather in a separate one, intermediate between the two. 



Order 34. CucurbitacEjE. " In this order there are, 

 properly, no trees. Some of the plants indeed have a 

 climbing, woody, perennial stem ; others a perennial root 

 only; whilst others again are entirely of annual duration. 

 Leaves in all alternate, simple, always accompanied at 

 their origin by stipulas. There are mostly glands, either 

 on the footstalks, at the base of the leaf, or on its disk. 

 All have tendrils, by which they climb if they have 

 any opportunity ; otherwise they are procumbent. These 

 plants seem akin to the Sarmentaceee, order 11th; but 

 the latter have a twining stem, these not; they are mo- 

 nocotyledonous, these dicotyledonous; they are destitute 

 of tendrils, with which these are furnished. The calyx is 

 either of five leaves, or five deep segments. Corolla of 

 one petal, in five deep divisions, but so much cut in many 

 instances, that it is scarcely possible, but from analogy, to 

 say whether it consists of one or five petals. The stamens 

 are inserted, not into the receptacle, but into the interior 

 surface of the calyx, to which also the corolla is attached. 

 Their filaments are often five, but frequently so combined 

 as to appear three only. So also the anthers are often 

 connected, the summit of one to the base of another, ma- 

 king a continued serpentine line. The style is of consi- 

 derable thickness, with three, frequently cloven, stigmas. 

 Fruit internally of three cells, fleshy, and somewhat juicy. 

 The seeds are, for the most part, capable of being kept 

 for a long time, though they appear of a dry nature; but 

 that they are not really so, is evident from the emulsions 

 prepared from some seeds of this tribe. Gardeners think 

 them better for keeping. The sex of the flowers is, in 

 several cases, distinct, and either monoecious or dioecious. 



