COLUTE'A FRUTES'CENS. 



SCARLET BLADDER SENNA. 

 Class. Order. 



DIADELPHIA. DBCANDBIA. 



Natural Order. 



LEGUKINOSEJE. 



No. 37. 



The term Colutea has been introduced from the 

 Greek name of a plant in Theophrastus, bnt no fur- 

 ther knowledge appears to exist of its origin or ap- 

 plication. It probably comes from KOI LOS, a spa- 

 cious cavity, in allusion to its distended seed vessel. 

 Frutescens, from the Latin frutex, a shrub. The 

 common term Bladder Senna, has been given to it 

 from its bladder-like pods, and the general resem- 

 blance of its foliage to that of the officinal Senna. 

 It is also said to possess a portion of the cathartic 

 qualities of that plant. 



Colutea is one of the unfortunate genera, among 

 many others, that has come, perfected as it were, 

 from the hand of the great father of our artificial 

 system, to suffer amputation and distribution in af- 

 ter ages. The Colutea frutescens is now found in 

 the modern catalogues as Sutherlandia frutescens, 

 in consequence of this name being adopted in the 

 Hortus Kewensis, after Mr. Robert Brown. To the 

 very eminent abilities of the author of the Prodromus 

 Novse Angliee every one must be ready to pay the 

 tribute of praise ; but, perhaps, that very acuteness 

 of observation and depth of botanical science for 



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