SWAINSONIA GREYANA. 87 



being united by the filaments into a flattened sbeath which surrounds the young 

 pod, except at its upper edge, where the tenth stamen is found distinet. The 

 flowers of the Swainsonia conform to this type; in a few plants of the Order, 

 however, the entire number of stamens are united in one bundle, and are then 

 termed monadelphous ; such are the Lupines, the Laburnum, and the Galega or 

 Goat's-rue. In other cases they are all distinct, as in the handsome Piptanthus 

 Nepalensis, the Baptisias, and Gompholobiums. 



The simplest form of the ovary of Leguminous plants is that of a two- valved, 

 single-celled, many-seeded pod, lengthened out into a slender style with a terminal 

 stigma; in a few plants, the style is nearly straight, but in most cases it is more or 

 less curved or bent back upon the ovary, with which it sometimes^ forms an acute 

 angle, as in the Swainsonia. The variations in the form of the seed vessel and 

 curvature of the style are endless, and their observation opens up to the student of 

 Botany and the lover of nature's works, an infinite source of gratification and 

 instruction. 



We must not, however, dwell longer on the general structure of the Order, but 

 devote our remaining space to that member of it now more immediately under 

 consideration. The Swainsonia Greyana is a half-shrubby plant, two feet or more 

 high, pubescent, with obscurely striated, branched stems, and pinnated leaves, with 

 eight pairs of blunt oval leaflets, and an odd terminal one ; sometimes the leaflets 

 are much fewer. The flowers are produced in axillary spikes often nearly a foot in 

 length, and always longer than the leaves ; each blossom is supported on a short 

 pedicel, with a bract at its base. The calyx is cup-shaped, with a five-toothed 

 margin, and a bract on each side at the base, which is, we believe, peculiar to this 

 species. The standard or upper petal is very large, of a pale purple colour, with a 

 large semi-circular spot in the centre, which contributes greatly to the beauty of 

 the plant ; the two alee, or wings, are rather shorter than the carina, which is dark 

 purple ; the colour of all the parts of the flower deepens with age, as in most of 

 the plants of this Order. Of the monadelphous stamens and recurved style we have 

 already spoken, and have only to add that the last named organ is longitudinally 

 bearded on its upper edge, now become inferior by the curvature. The pod 

 is slightly turgid or inflated, smooth, and borne on a stalk, which ultimately 

 lengthens considerably. 



The genus is allied to the Coluteas, which are, however, very readily distin- 

 guished by their curious inflated, bladder-like seed-vessel, as well as by the two 

 callosities on the standard. In Sutherlandia frutescens the style is bearded on 

 both edges, and in Lessertia, which is nearly related to Swainsonia, the style is 

 bearded transversely at the end. 



The Swainsonias are not numerous, but four or five species being at present in 

 cultivation. Of these, the best known is the old S. galegifolia, with sweet scented 



