1076 



within white, fungous, resolvable into innumerable linear processes 

 (philyras) resting very closely on each other, and, besides, divisable 

 into as many separate portions as there are seeds, to which it adheres 

 most closely, and which it entirely involves. 



" ' The seeds are four to eight, elliptical, globular, very slightly 

 (obsolelissime) compressed, black, terminated by a solid, fungous, 

 white umbilicus, directed towards the superior, or concave, suture of 

 the legumen. 



" ' The outer covering single, somewhat stony, very hard, carbona- 

 ceous within, distinguished by a somewhat prominent groove, immersed 

 in the rima of the cotyledons, and marked within the substance of the 

 groove with a calcareous, snowy nerve, to be traced to the umbilicus. 



" ' Albumen none, and no trace of it. 



" ' The embryo conformable to the seed, straight, yellowish. The 

 cotyledons thick, plano-convex, separated throughout the whole cir- 

 cumference of their commissure by a depressed groove, and as it were 

 gaping. 



" ' No plumula. 



" ' The radicle globular, retracted, centrifugal.' 



" On this description, I propose to offer one or two observations. 



" Gaertner does not mention the length of the pod. That before us 

 is about 7 inches long, and 3 broad. This legumen is described, by 

 many authors, as being from 4 to 7 inches long, and 2 to 3 inches 

 broad. It appears seldom to exceed these dimensions. 



" Instead of ligneous, it should be described as osseous, if that epi- 

 thet is applicable to the stone fruits in general, which the substance 

 of this fruit plainly equals in hardness. 



" Gaertner says it is ' valveless ' (' avalve '), by which he means that 

 it is indehiscent ; and of course he applies this term to all legumens 

 which are indehiscent. If, however, the name legumen be applied to 

 such pericarps, it seems better to allow them to possess valves also, 

 at least when the form of the two portions of the pericarpal wall is so 

 well mai'ked out, as in this case. Gaertner does not hesitate to place 

 this pericarp among legumens ; but, contrary to recent usage, he puts 

 the Tonga bean among the drupes. He does not even consider the 

 pericarp of the Hymenaea as a drupaceous legumen, but ranks it under 

 the baccate legumens, along with the pericarp of the tamarind, the 

 Cassia fistula, and the carob bean, the common character of which is 

 the containing within the legumen a pulp, in which the seeds are 

 imbedded. 



" Gaertner does not take notice of the colour of this pod. It is 



