138 BKITISH BOTANY. 



sometimes many-celled, being divided by incomplete transverse 

 partitions ; sometimes not opening (indehiscent) ; sometimes one- 

 seeded. Fuuicle (the process which attaches the seeds to the 

 placenta) usually dilated at the hilum (the point where it is at- 

 tached to the seed) . Embryo cm'ved, or rarely straight ; cotyle- 

 dons thick ; perisperm (albumen) none. Radicle approaching the 

 hilum. 



Tribe I. LOTJE^K — Leaves trifoliate or unequally pinnate, rarely sim- 

 ple or reduced to the rach (leaf-stalk). Legume (fruit) one-celled, 

 rarely 2-celled by the inflexion of the margin of the valves (suture), 

 sometimes spirally twisted. Stamens all united, or in two parcels ; 

 cotyledons aerial (developed above the soU) and leaf-like, rarely re- 

 maining thick and fleshy. 



Sub-Tribe 1. GtenistEvE. — Stamens united (monadelphous). 



SYNOPSIS OF THE OENEEA. 



Ulex. — Shrubs with spinous branches. Calyx coloured, 2-lipped, the upper 



hp 2-toothed, the lower Z-toothed. 

 Genista. — Shrubs rarely spinous. Calyx not coloured, 2-lipped, the upper 



lip cleft, the lower 3-toothed. 



Note. — The leaves of the plants in these two Genera are simple by 

 abortion. 

 Saeothamntjs. — Slu-ubs with temate leaves. Tod Jlat, many-seeded. 

 Ononis. — Herbaceous or half-shrubby plants, with long creeping woody roots. 



Calyx in 5 linear divisions ; legume turgid, feto-seeded. 

 Anthyllis. — Perennial herbaceous plants. Leaves unequaUy pinnate. Calyx 



inflated, more or less coloured. Legume compressed, one- or two-seeded, 



enclosed in the calyx. 



Sub-Tribe 2. TRiFOLiEiE. — Stamens in two parcels (diadelphous). 



Note. — Nine of the stamens are connected by a membrane, and one 

 is free. 



synopsis of the genera. 



Lotus. — Perennial or annual herbaceous plants, with trifoHate leaves. Legume 

 linear, straight, cylindrical, many-seeded. 



Medicago. — Annual or perennial plants. Legume reniform (broadly heart- 

 shaped), ov falciform (like a sickle), or spirally twisted. 



Melilottjs. — Biennials, with a thick vertical root. Leaves pinnate- trifoUate. 

 Flowers in spike-like clusters. Legume longer than the calyx, straight, 

 oblong, 1-4-seeded. 



Tbifolium. — Annual or perennial plants. Leaves trifoliate. Flowers in heads 

 (capitules), or in short, dense, compact spikes. Legume small, usuaUy en- 

 closed in the calyx. 



ASTEAQALTJS. — Perennial plants, with unequaUy pinnate leaves. Flowers in 

 axillary clusters. Legume many seeded, elongated, curved, incompletely 

 2-celled ; partition formed by the inflexed margin of the lower suture. 



