The Botany of Hingham. 101 



ham have such flowers, except those of the genus Cassia. The 

 fruit is always a legume or true pod ; but it varies, — being sim- 

 ple, as in the Pea, or lobed, as in Desmodium. Within our bor- 

 ders this great family is represented only by herbs, except in one 

 introduced species, which has become naturalized, — the Robinia 

 Pseudacacia, common Locust-tree. 



Other trees and shrubs of the family occur that have been set 

 out for ornamental purposes, as the Gleditchia or Three-thorned 

 Acacia, the Red-bud or Judas-tree, the Laburnum, Wistaria, etc. 



The Leguminosa? stand high among the families of the vege- 

 table kingdom in their usefulness to man, furnishing as they do 

 much of the food used by him and his domestic animals, many 

 of the resins, and a large portion of the dyes used in the arts. 

 Among food products are Peas, Beans, and Clover ; among medi- 

 cines, Liquorice, Senna, Balsams, and Gums ; among those used 

 in the arts, Gums Senegal, Tragacanth, and Arabic; Indigo, 

 Brazil-wood, Logwood, and Red Sandal-wood. But few of the 

 plants have injurious properties. The indigo of our households 

 is very poisonous. This is mentioned because of the danger of 

 its being handled by children. 



The leaves of our Cassia Marilandica can be used as a substi- 

 tute for senna, having similar properties. 



Lupinus, Tourn. 



perennis, L. Lupine. 

 Crotalaria, L. 



sagittalis, L. Rattle-box. Not common. 

 Trifolium, Tourn. 



arvense, L. Rabbit-foot Clover. 



pratense, L. Red Clover. 



hybridum. L. Dutch Clover. 



repens, L. White Clover. 



agrarium, L. Yellow Clover. 



procumbens, L. Low Hop Clover. 

 Melilotus, Tourn. 



officinalis, Willd. Yellow Melilot. 



alba, Lam. White Melilot. 



Medicago, Tourn. 

 sativa, L. 

 lupulina, L. Black Medick. 



Robinia, L. 



pseudacacia, L. Locust. 



Tephrosia, Pers. 



Virginiana, Pers. Goat's Rue. 



Desmodium, Desv. 

 nudirlorum, D C. 

 acuminatum, D C. 

 Canadense, D C. 

 Marilandicum. Boott. 

 rifjidum, D C. 



