GYMNOCLADUS 



Gymnocladus, Lamarck, But. i. 773 {ex parte) (1783); Bentham et Hooker, Gen. PI. i. 568 



(1865). 

 Guilandina, Linnasus, Gen. PL 518 {ex parte) (1742). 



Deciduous trees, belonging to the division Caesalpinieae of the order 

 Leguminosae. Branches stout and without thorns. Leaves large, alternate, 

 bipinnate, the number of pinnae being either odd or even ; pinnae and leaflets usually 

 alternate. Stipules foliaceous, early deciduous. 



Flowers polygamous or dioecious, terminal or axillary, in racemes or racemose 

 corymbs, on long pedicels. Calyx tubular, lined with a glandular disc, ten-ribbed, 

 five-lobed, the lobes narrow and nearly equal. Petals four to five, slightly unequal, 

 imbricated, inserted on the- margin of the disc, spreading. Stamens ten, free, 

 shorter than the petals and inserted with them, those opposite the calyx lobes longer 

 than the others ; anthers oblong. Ovary rudimentary or absent in the staminate 

 flowers, sessile or sub-sessile in the polygamous and pistillate flowers ; style short 

 and dilated above obliquely into a two-lobed stigma.' Ovules four or numerous. 



Pod oblong, thick, coriaceous, dark brown, flattened, beaked at the apex, 

 slightly curved or falcate, on stalks ^ to 2 inches long, pulpy between the seeds. 

 Valves two, narrowly winged on the margins. Seeds on long slender stalklets ; 

 seed-coat thick and bony ; embryo surrounded by a layer of horny albumen. 



Only two species are known, one occurring in China and doubtfully hardy in 

 this country, the other a native of N. America and cultivated in England. 



GYMNOCLADUS CHINENSIS, Chinese Soap Tree 



Gymnocladus chinensis, Baillon, Compt. Rend. Assoc. Fran(. Avanc. Sc. 1874, p. 418, t. 4, and Bull. 



Soc. Linn. Paris, 1875, P- 33! Oliver, in Hooker, Icon. Plant, xv. 9, t. 1412 (1883); 



Hemsley, yisiwrw. Linn. Soc {Bot.) xxiii. 207 (1887). 

 Dialium sp. ?, Hanbury, Science Papers, 238, fig. 5 (1876). 



A tree attaining 40 feet in height. Young shoots rusty pubescent. Leaves 

 I to 3 feet long; pinnae alternate or sub-opposite, all composed of numerous (twenty 



' The stigma of Gymnecladus chinensis is not correctly shown in Hook. Ic. PI. t. 141 2. 



427 



