SYSTEMATIC BOTANY. 



Papilionaceous 

 Flower. 



as the general characteristics of the Leguminosce : 

 Herbs, shrubs, or trees ; leaves, alternate, generally 

 compound, their petioles tumid 

 at the base, where there are 

 usually two stipules, and also 

 two to each leaflet in the 

 pinnate leaves ; the pedicles 

 are generally articulated, and 

 the flowers are furnished with 

 small bracts ; calyx, five-parted, 

 the segments being sometimes 

 unequal and variously com- 

 bined ; petals, never more than 

 five, but often less, and some- 

 times wanting, inserted into the base of the calyx, 

 and variously arranged, papilionaceous in all 

 European genera, the odd petal being always 

 superior ; stamens, definite or indefinite, inserted 

 with the petals, in exceptional cases apparently 

 hypogynous, thus shewing a transition from the 

 preceding sub-class, distinct, or in one, two, or 

 three bundles ; ovary, superior, for the most part 

 one-celled ; ovules, one or many ; style and 

 stigma, simple ; fruit, a true legume, a modified 

 form of legume or loment, or sometimes, when 

 containing only one seed, drupe-like ; embryo, 

 straight, with or without albumen ; the radicle, 

 in some instances, bent along the edge of the 

 cotyledons. 



The plants belonging to the order are found in 

 all parts of the world, but they are most abundant 

 in warm regions, and diminish on approaching 

 the poles. There are above 6500 known species. 



This family is amongst the most important to 

 man, whether as affording objects of beauty, of 

 utility, or of nutriment. The bean, the pea, the 

 vetch, and the clover tribe belong to it ; as do 

 the logwood, the laburnum, indigo, the tamarind, 

 liquorice, senna, and the acacias. Its general pro- 

 perties are considered by some to be wholesome, 

 but there are several exceptions. Thus, the seeds 

 of laburnum, and the juice of Coronilla varia, are 

 poisonous. Senna, obtained from various species 

 of cassia, is purgative, and several others of the 

 order possess a similar property. The pericarp of 

 some contains much tannin ; dyes are obtained 

 from others ; and many yield gums and balsams. 

 It would occupy pages to enumerate all the uses 

 to which this, one of the most extensive orders in 

 the vegetable kingdom, has been applied. We 

 shall, therefore, briefly indicate the principal sec- 

 tions of the order, and the more important plants 

 contained in each. I. Papilionacece, petals pa- 

 pilionaceous, imbricate, upper one exterior. This, 

 which may be called the Pulse section, is the only 

 one containing British species, but these are 

 numerous, and contribute much to the beauty of 

 our Flora. The vetches and lathyrus, the rest- 

 harrow, the trefoils and clovers, the lotus and the 

 meliloti, are all gay flowers which we gather in our 

 rural walks. Turning to plants of utility, we find 

 here the bean and the pea, the clovers, vetches, 

 sainfoin, and lucerne. The lentil (Ervum lens), 

 although a crop of the most ancient cultivation, has 

 only recently been introduced to the notice of Brit- 

 ish farmers; and may possibly be of some service 

 on light soils. Kidney-beans and scarlet-runners 

 also belong to the garden Papilionaceae, the latter 

 affording a characteristic illustration of the mis- 

 cellaneous properties of this order, its roots being 

 poisonous, while its seeds form an article of food. 



Other plants of the section are decidedly poisonous, 

 such as Coronilla varia, and the seeds and bark 

 of laburnum, which/ being a common ornamental 

 tree, and one which seeds freely, is apt to give 

 rise to accidents, especially in the case of children. 

 But perhaps the most remarkable of all poisonous 

 species is the ordeal bean of Calabar, Physostigma 

 venenosum. It is commonly used in Calabar in 

 trials by ordeal, the suspected party being set free 

 if (by vomiting) the bean does not prove fatal In 

 like manner, the bark of another species is used 

 by the Caffres as a test in judicial trials. Of mis- 

 cellaneous plants used in the arts, we find Astra- 

 galus gummifer and other species, from which 

 gum-tragacanth is obtained ; Baptisia tinctoria, a 

 dye-plant and the wild indigo of America ; Crota- 

 laria juncea, whose fibrous bark yields Bengal 

 hemp; Dalbergia Sissoo, which in India yields 

 the valuable timber well known by its native name 

 of Sissoo ; Dipterix odorata, whose fragrant seeds 

 are the Tonka-beans of commerce ; Glycyrrhiza 

 glabra, whose root forms liquorice ; various species 

 of Indigofera, from which the true indigo is 

 obtained ; Pterocarpus santalinus, the source of 

 red sandal-wood ; P. draco, which yields gum- 

 dragon ; and Triptolomea, from species of which 

 the rose-wood of commerce appears to be derived. 

 Kino is supplied by various species of Pterocarpu s, 

 and by Butea frondosa, one of the most gorgeous 

 plants of India, with masses of bright orange-red 

 flowers, resembling sheets of flame. II. Casal- 

 piniece, petals imbricated, upper one interior. The 

 plants of this section are chiefly important from 

 yielding valuable timbers and dyes, while some 

 are much used as purgative medicines. Of the 

 latter, the various kinds of senna, consisting of the 

 leaves of species of Cassia, are most important 

 The fruit of the tamarind likewise contains a laxa- 

 tive pulp, as also Cassia Fistula. Of dyes we 

 have the sappan of India (Casalpinia sappan], 

 the barwood or camwood (Baphia nitida), and 

 the well-known logwood (Hamatoxylon campech- 

 ianum). Of timber-trees, the Brazil-wood of com- 

 merce (Casalpinia Brasiliensis) is not the least 

 important. The West Indian locust-tree (Hymenaa 

 Courbarit) affords a close-grained tough wood, 

 which is found well adapted for the beams of 

 steam-engines, while the Guiana purple-heart even 

 excels it in toughness ; and being found to resist 

 well the shock of artillery discharges, it is sought 

 after for mortar-beds. III. Mimosece, petals 

 valvate in estivation. The principal genera are 

 Acacia and Mimosa; the latter genus chiefly 

 remarkable on account of the irritability displayed 

 by the leaves of M. pudica and sensitiva. Many 

 species of Acacia yield gum-arabic and gum-sene- 

 gal. The Australian species, called ' Wattles,' have 

 astringent bark which is used in tanning ; in these 

 the leaf-stalk is often flattened into a phyllodium, 

 or false-leaf ; hi the young plant there may be no 

 compound leaves developed, but these ultimately 

 appear at the tips of the phyllodia. 



ROSACES. Like the preceding, this is one of 

 the most extensive natural orders, comprehending 

 nearly loco described species, which are herbs, 

 shrubs, and trees, often of very dissimilar habits 

 and appearance, but all bearing a striking resem- 

 blance in their fructification to the single or wild 

 rose of our woods and hedges, which may be taken 

 as the type of the order. Among the trees may 

 be mentioned, as familiar examples, the almond 



