nga. 

 few 



130 XXX. MOlilNGEiE. [Moringa. 



A small tree, to 20 ft. high, with a straight trunk 4-5 ft. girth, and a 

 large divergent branches. Bark grey, soft, corky, and deeply cracked. Wood 

 coarse-grained, spongy, soft and perishable. The tree is mainly cultivated on 

 account of its fruit, which is eaten as a vegetable, and preserved as pickle. 

 Leaves and flowers are likewise eaten. Twigs and leaves are lopped for fodder. 

 Incisions are made in the trunk, from which exudes a reddish gum, used in 

 native medicine. The root has a strong pungent flavour, much resembling 

 horseradish ; locally applied, it acts as a vesicant (Pharm. Ind. 61). From the 

 seeds of another species with unwinged seeds, M. aptera, Gaertn., of Africa, a 

 valuable oil (the Ben-oil of watchmakers and jewellers) is obtained ; but, so far 

 as known, no oil is extracted from the seeds of this species in India. 



A second species, nearly allied to this, M. concanensis, Nimmo, grows wild 

 on the dry hills of Hajputana (Sainjna), near Kishengurh and Bednore ; also 

 on the hills of Sindh (Mhua) and the Konkan. It has yellow flowers, and bi- 

 pinnate leaves, pinnse 4-6 pair, simply pinnate, except sometimes the lowest, 

 which are bipinnate, with broadly ovate leaflets, 1 in. long, on petioles ^ in. 

 long, with 4-6 pairs of rather prominent lateral nerves. In Rajputana I found 

 it in leaf and flower in Dec. 1869 ; in the Konkan it is said to flower in Nov. 

 The unripe fruit is eaten. Bark thick, soft, corky. Wood soft and light. 



Order XXXI. LEGUMINOS^. 



Herbs, shrubs, or trees, extremely variable in appearance. Leaves gen- 

 erally alternate, compound, and stipulate ; inflorescence mostly indefinite. 

 Flowers bracteate ; calyx of 5 sepals, free or oftener connate ; petals 5 or 

 fewer, equal or unequal. Stamens 10 or numerous, rarely hypogynous, 

 more commonly inserted with petals on the base or inside of the calyx- 

 tube ; anthers 2-celled, cells parallel, generally opening longitudinally. 

 Pistil monocarpellary, rarely 2- or 5-carpellary ; ovules numerous, rarely 

 1 or 2, attached in 1 or 2 series to the inner suture. Fruit a pod (legume), 

 generally dry, indehiscent, or separating into 2 valves, along one or both 

 sutures. Seeds exalbuminous, or (in some Ccesdlpiniece) albuminous; testa 

 coriaceous, sometimes horny, rarely thinly membranous ; embryo straight, 

 or the radicle bent upon the cotyledons, which are generally large, fleshy, 

 or foliaceous. Gen. PL i. 434 ; Koyle 111. 180 ; Wight 111. i. 187. 



This large order comprises upwards of 6500 species, distributed nearly 

 over the entire globe. It is divided into three well-defined sub-orders 

 Papilionacece, Ccesalpi?iiece, and Mimosece. 



Calyx gamosepalous ; corolla papilionaceous ; petals free, 



unequal, imbricate, the posterior petal outside ; stamens 



generally diadelphous 1. Papilionacece. 



Calyx parted nearly to the base ; petals free, mostly unequal, 



imbricate, the posterior petal inside ; stamens free . . 2. CuESalpinie^:. 

 Calyx gamosepalous ; petals more or less connate, equal, val- 



vate ; stamens free or monadelphous ..... 3. Mimoseje, 



First Sub-order, PAPIL.IONACE.ffi. 





Mostly herbs, rarely shrubs or trees. Leaves alternate, pinnate, or 

 digitate, rarely simple ; stipules usually present ; leaflets often stipellate ; 

 flowers bisexual, irregular. Calyx gamosepalous, often 2-lipped, the upper 





