DICOTYLEDONS 



Family XXXIX. LEGUMINOS^. 



Trees, shrubs, or herbs. Leaves alternate or rarely opposite, 

 nearly always compound, sometimes simple, generally with 

 stipules. Peduncles axillary or terminal, with one to numerous 

 flowers. Flowers : irregular generally hermaphrodite, or regular 

 generally polygamous. Sepals more or less united, generally 

 5 in the irregular flowers, the fifth lowest ; 5 or 4 in the regular 

 flowers. Petals as many as the sepals ; in the irregular flowers 

 the fifth highest. Stamens generally twice as many as the 

 petals, sometimes as many, sometimes indefinite, few or numerous, 

 usually inserted on the margin of the receptacle. Carpel 

 solitary, Lcelled ; ovules numerous, attached at the interior 

 angle. Fruit a pod, sometimes splitting into one-seeded joints. 

 Endosperm scanty or wanting. Cotyledons generally flat, 

 foliaceous or thick and fleshy ; radicle superior. 



Species over 12,000 in number, found in every part of the 

 world. . 



Subfamily 1. PAPILIONAT^. 

 1% 



Flowers papilionaceous. Petals imbricate, the uppermost 

 outside. Stamens 9 or 10, united into a sheath, or distinct in 

 §§11, 12 — numerous in § 12. Leaves simple, digitate or pinnate. 



KEY TO SECTIONS. 



Leaves simple, or digitate with 1, 3, or 5 leaflets. 



Flowers racemose or solitary §1. 



Flowers in heads. Pod enclosed in the withered 



calyx and corolla ; § 2. 



Flowers covered by large bracts § 9. Flemingia. 



Leaves digitate with 2 or 4 leaflets §4. Zornia. 



Leaves reduced to spines § 1 . JJlex. 



IV. B 



