LEGUMINll'KKJS. 137 



lu woods and hedges. Tree; tlowers iu May and June; bears 

 fruit in September. 



R. Frangula, Lin. Alder-leaved Buckthorn. — e.b. 250. l.b.s. 

 247. 



A. ]3. C. 30. Lat. 50-58°. Alt. 0-200 yds. Tern. 51-47°. 



Small shrub, with many opposite or alternate branches (the 

 latter state often by abortion), which are not converted into 

 spines. Leaves obovate (usually oblong or ovate-oblong), blunt 

 or scarcely acuminate, quite entire or only slightly sinuate, either 

 scattered or contiguous on the upper part of the branches. 

 Flowers perfect, in axillary clusters, rarely solitary, five-cleft, 

 greenish- white. Style undivided. Fruit red, becoming black 

 when at maturity. Woods and shady places. Shrub; flowers 

 in May or June, and bears fruit in August or September. 



LEGUMINIFER^, DC. The Legume-bearing Family. 



This great Older consists of herbaceous (annual, biennial, or 

 perennial), shrubby, or arboreous plants. They have alternate 

 compound leaves, equally or unequally pinnate or trifoliate (some- 

 times with only one leaflet by abortion), with stipules. Flowers 

 in clusters, sometimes solitary, perfect, usually irregular (not 

 symmetrical), papilionaceous (having some resemblance to the 

 unexpanded wings of a butterfly). Sepals united and forming a 

 sort of tube at their base, 5-parted. Petals 5, inserted into the 

 base of the calyx, usually free (not growing together) or rarely 

 united and forming a gamopetalous corolla ; upper petal (standard) 

 plicate longitudinally, and embracing the lateral petals or wings 

 {alee) ; the 2 lower petals usually adhere at the summit (some- 

 times throughout), and form what is called the keel [carina). 

 Stamens 10, inserted with the petals at the base of the calyx, 

 with their filaments sometimes all united and forming a tube 

 which invests the ovary, or with one filament (the upper one) 

 free. Ovary free, consisting of a single one-celled carpel, with 

 several ovules, rarely with one ovule, inserted in the upper in- 

 terior angle of the cell (inserted on the upper suture, which forms 

 the placenta). Style filiform, with a terminal or lateral stigma. 

 Fruit usually a legume, dry, many- or few-seeded, rarely one- 

 seeded ; opening longitudinally ; sometimes 2-celled by the in- 

 flexion and extension of the margin of the upper or lower suture ; 



18 / 



