293 



Netted Mimosa; 26. M. scandens, Climbing Mimosa; 27. M.myrti- 

 folia, Myrtle-leaved Mimosa ; 28. M. sitaveolem, Sweet-scented 

 Mimosa. 



The first, when cultivated in the garden, has great resemblance to 

 the seventh sort; but the stalks never grow so erect, the wings of the 

 leaves are longer, and stand more horizontal: the heads of flowers are 

 much larger, the stamens are longer, and the flowers on the under side 

 of the spike which have no stamens are double ; the pods also arc 

 shorter, and much broader than those of that sort. 



It is annual; the stems round, herbaceous, smooth, procumbent, 

 rooting at all the joints: the leaves three-paired or four-paired, con- 

 tracting with the least touch: from the axils of these spring erect 

 peduncles, four or five inches high, with scales the whole length, 

 sustaining handsome, yellow, almost globular heads, the same size 

 with those of red clover: the flowers different in shape, nature and 

 use; those in the middle truly fivc-petalled, in small five-cleft calyxes, 

 with many long stamens; but those in the circuit, instead of stamens, 

 have oblong, beautiful, golden leaflets, much wider and handsomer 

 than the true petals, which are small and of a greenish colour. 

 These double flowers are barren ; but the single ones are succeeded by 

 flat, smooth, two-valved legumes, containing several black, shining, 

 compressed seeds. It is a native of La Vera Cruz. 



The second species has trailing herbaceous stalks, putting out 

 roots at every joint, and spreading to a considerable distance. A 

 single plant, in the stove, in one summer, has spread near three feet 

 square, and the branches so closely joined, as to cover the surface of 

 the bed; but when permitted to grow thus, the plants seldom produce 

 flowers: the leaflets are narrow, and the petioles are short and 

 smooth: the flowers axillary, on naked peduncles about an inch in 

 length; they are of a pale yellowish colour, and are collected into 

 small globular heads: the legumes short, flat, jointed, containing 

 three or four compressed, roundish seeds. It is a native of Jamaica. 



The third has a creeping root : the stalks slender, having four 

 acute angles, armed pretty closely with short recurved spines: the 

 leaves on long prickly foot-stalks, and thinly placed on the branches: 



