t^LAJSTTS OF BERMUDA. 23 



Section II. — Coemlpiniece. Flowers not papilionaceous, the iqjper 

 petal folded within the side ones in the hid ; stamens ten, distinct. 



XI. rOINCIANA. 



Calyx five partite, coloured, the lowest segment largest and vaulted ; petals 

 five, uneqical ; stamens ten, equal. 



1. P. Regia (Poinciana). A handsome evergreen tree, twenty to 

 thirty feet high, with wide .s^o reading branches; leaves a fo )t in 

 length, abruptly twice pinnate, x)iiiii8B twelve to eighteen pairs, 

 four inches long and bearing twelve to eighteen pairs of bniall 

 entire leaflets ; flowers large in axillary racemes ; calyx yellow ; 

 petals five, with long claws, wavy at the edges, the upper one 

 yellow streaked with crimson, the others all crimson ; stamens 

 long, ciu'ved upwards ; pod twelve to eighteen inches long, two 

 inches wide, oblong, straight, compressed, many- seeded. Native 

 of Madagascar. Habitat, parks, gardens, and sides of streets. 

 Flowers three inches in diameter ; September. 



A few of these trees may he noticed in lieid Street (West End), xvhcre^ 

 their shade in summer is most refreshing ; and both for this purpose and 

 on account of the beauty of their foliage and flowers it is to be hoped that 

 their number will soon be increased. 



2. H. pulcherrima (Barbadoes flower fence). An evergreen shrub 

 somewhat similar to the above, but whose branches are armed with 

 numerous prickles ; has also been introduced and may be seen at 

 Mount Langton and elsewhere ; its flowers arc orange-red, with 

 very long stamens and style. 



XII. CASSIA. 



Shrubs with pinnate leaves, leaflets unequal at the base; sepals five, 

 slightly united at the base and early falling off; petals five, unequal; 

 stamens ten, unequal, three upper usually abortive and different in form to 

 other seven, fertile ones opening by two pores at top ; pods many -seeded, 

 the seeds usually separated by transverse partitions ; flowers yellow. 



1. C. hicapsularis (Christmas bush). An evergreen shrub, three 

 to four feet high, with long, weak and trailing branches, stems 

 smooth ; stipules one-eighth of an inch, narrow, pointed ; leaflets 

 smooth, three to four pairs, the lower round half-inch in diameter, 

 •with an oval gland between them, the outer pair larger obovate 

 with a minute point ; racemes axillary, ten to twelve flowered, as 

 long as the leaves ; sepals yellow ; lower iDctal largest ; two stamens 

 very long, equalling the st^de, one inferior solitary, four central 

 ones, fertile but short, and three su^Dcrior with petal -like anthers; 

 pod nearly cylindrical, four to six inches long, many-seeded, valves 

 leathery. Distribution, West Indies ; habitat, hedges, etc., not 

 uncommon. Flowers one inch in diameter ; November to March. 



Several other shrubby species of Cassia have been introduced in 

 gardens, etc., and will easily be recognised by the above character- 

 istics. C. Baccilaris, which resembles the foregoing in having a 



