672 



BOTANY 



PART II 



tripinnate leaves and long pendulous racemes of yellow flowers. Ulex, Furze, a 

 characteristic British plant. Spartium, distributed in the Mediterranean region. 

 Trifolium, Clover, with persistent calyx and corolla. Leaves trifoliate. Flowers 

 aggregated in heads. Stamens (9) + 1. Fruits indehiscent. Medicago, Mediek, with 

 deciduous corolla ; fruit sickle-shaped or spirally twisted. Melilotus, Melilot, with 

 racemose inflorescences. Trigonella with long pods. Ononis, Rest-Harrow with 



ten coherent stamens. The 

 increase in the amount of 

 nitrogen in the soil effected by 

 the root-tubercles (of. p. 260, 

 Figs. 251, 252) of Legu- 

 minosae finds its practical 

 application in European agri- 

 culture in the cultivation of 

 species of Trifolium, Medi- 

 cago, and Lupinus, Lotus, 

 Bird's-foot Trefoil (Fig. 707) ; 

 leaves imparipinnate, lowest 

 pair of leaflets owing to the 

 absence of the petiole resem- 

 bling stipules. Anthyllis, 

 Kidney- Vetch. In species of 

 Astragalus, which are low 

 shrubs of the eastern Medi- 

 terranean region and of 

 western Asia, the rachis of 

 the leaf persists as a sharply 

 pointed thorn for years after 

 the leaflets have fallen. These 

 spines serve to protect the 

 young shoots, leaves, and 

 flowers (Fig. 712). Our native 

 species are herbaceous. Ho- 

 binia (Fig. 198) is an Ameri- 

 can tree of rapid growth with 

 very brittle wood, which is 

 often planted and known as 

 False Acacia. Glycyrrhiza, 

 Liquorice, is a native of S. 

 Europe. Wistaria sinensis 

 is a climber with beautiful 

 blue flowers, often grown 

 against the walls of houses. 

 Distinguished by the jointed 

 pods in which the seeds are isolated by transverse septa are Coronilla 

 (Fig. 713), Ornithopus sativus, Bird's-Foot, and Arachis hypogaea, Ground-nut, an 

 important, oil-yielding fruit of the tropics and sub-tropics. After flowering the 

 flower -stalks penetrate the soil in which the fruits ripen. Vicia, Vetch; 

 Pisum, Pea (Fig. 208) ; Lens, Lentil ; Lathyrus, Everlasting Pea (Fig. 209). 

 Leaves with terminal tendrils, corresponding to the terminal leaflet ; the leaves 

 may thus appear to be paripinnate. The cotyledons remain within the seed-coat 



FIG. 712. Astragalus gummifer. (| nat. size. After 

 A. MEYER and SCHUMANN.) OFFICIAL. 



