1Q2 CLASSIFICATION. 



it cannot be easily separated by winds. The banner being 

 taken off, the two side pieces, or wings, are exposed to view ; 

 they are strongly inserted into tJ* <iumg part of the co- 



rolla, and their use appears to be, lirat of protecting the sides of 

 the flower. Upon taking off the wins, you will discover the 

 last piece of the corolla, called, on account of its form, the keel 

 or boat. This covers and protects the stamens and pistils. 

 Upon drawing the keel downwards, you will find the ten sta- 

 mens, double in number to the petals ; these stamens are joined 

 together by the sides of their filaments, apj>earing like a cylin- 

 der surrounding the pistil. One of the stamens, however, does 

 not adhere to the rest ; but as the flower fades and the fruit 

 increases, it separates and leaves an opening at the upper side, 

 through which the germ can extend itself by gradually opening 

 the cylinder. In the early stage of the flower, this stamen will 

 seem not to be separated ; but by carefully moving it with a 

 pin or needle, its filament will be found unconnected with the 

 ther nine. 



The germ of the papilionaceous plant extends itself into that 

 kind of pod called a legume. It is distinguished from the Si- 

 lique of the cruciform family, by having no partition in the le- 

 gume. Besides, the seeds grow to one side only, being alter- 

 nately attached to the edges of the two valves; but in the 

 silique pod they are alternately attached to both edges of the 

 partition. The legume also opens lengthwise and rolls back- 

 wards ; in the silique, the valves separate and stand out from 

 the base upwards. 



The seeds of this family, as you have been already inform- 

 ed, have a marked scar, black spot, or line, called the hilum, 

 by which they adhere to the pod. Near this scar there is a 

 minute opening into the body of the seed, through which mois- 

 ture is imbibed, at the period of its first growth or germination. 

 The proper germ, or that part of the seed which is to be the 

 future plant, continues to swell, and at length bursts through 

 the coats of the seed, presenting between the divided halves 

 the first true leaves, and the root, which commences its jour- 

 ney downwards. These divided halves of the seed are the co- 

 tyledons or seed leaves, which furnish sustenance to the plant 

 until it is sufficiently mature to seek its own support, and then 

 they gradually decay. 



In this family we find the fine table vegetables, beans and 

 peas ; the useful medicinal plant, liquorice ; the fine colouring 

 indigo ; the fragrant clover, so grateful as food to many of the 

 domestic animals ; the splendid locust tree ; the elegant lupine, 

 and the delicate and odoriferous sweet pea. 



Distinction between legume and silique. 



