Albizzia.] 



XXXI. LEGUMINOS.E. 



179 



most leaves bearing yellow fragrant flower-heads of 1 2-20 sessile pubes- 

 cent flowers. Corolla three times the length of calyx. Pod linear-oblong, 

 with waved edges, 4-6 in. long and 1 in. broad. 



South India, the Dekkan, and near Mundlaysir (Mandleswar), north of the Ner- 

 budda river (Jacquemont). Fl. April- June. Bark smooth, greenish. Skinner 

 describes it as follows : " The wood is strong, fibrous, and stiff, close-grained, 

 hard and durable, of a dark-brown colour, superior to Sal and Teak in trans- 

 verse strength and direct cohesive power. Weight 70 lb. per cub. ft. seasoned, 

 P. = 1284. Used for beams of native houses, and in the construction of carts ; 

 the wood of the crooked branches is used for ploughs." 



' 11. ACACIA, Willd. 



Trees or shrubs (the Indian species) armed with prickles or stipular 

 spines. Flowers small, yellow or white, in globose heads or cylindrical 

 spikes, with numerous scaly paleae between the flowers. Leaves bipin- 

 nate (the Indian species). Calyx and corolla usually 4-5-merous ; calyx 

 campanulate or cup-shaped, toothed or lobed. Petals valvate in bud, more 

 or less connate or cohering. Stamens indefinite, free, generally very nu- 

 merous, not exceeding \ inch in length ; anthers minute. Pod dehiscent 

 or indehiscent, seeds compressed. 



Stipules spinescent, generally straight, more or less connate 

 at base ; trees or shrubs, not climbing. 

 Flowers in lax spikes ; pods thin, broadly falcate . . 1. A. Latronum. 

 Flowers in globose heads ; peduncles axillary, fasciculate. 



Bracts at the base of flower-head 2. A. Farnesiana. 



Bracts in the middle of peduncle. 

 A tree ; pods convex, moniliform, contracted between 



seeds . . . . . . . . . 3. A. arabica. 



A shrub ; pods flat, linear- oblong, 4 in. broad ; flowers 



sweet-scented 4. A. Jacquemonti. 



A shrub or small tree ; pods flat, linear, \ in. broad ; 



smell of flowers unpleasant 5. 



Flowers in globose heads ; peduncles paniculate . . 6. 



Stipules not spinescent ; two or three infra-stipular, generally 

 recurved, prickles below the insertion of each leaf; flowers 

 in cylindrical spikes ; trees or shrubs, not climbing. 

 Pods indehiscent or imperfectly dehiscent. 

 Three infra-stipular prickles ; common petiole 1-2 in. 



long ^ 7. 



Two infra-stipular prickles ; common petiole 1-2 in. long 8. 

 Two infra-stipular prickles ; common petiole 3-6 in. long. 

 Leaflets 15-30 pair, oblong-linear, in. long . . 9. 

 Leaflets 6-8 pair, obovate or oblong, 1 in. long . . 10. 

 Pods two-valved, dehiscent. 



Bark dark-coloured ; petals 2-3 times longer than calyx . 11. 

 Bark white ; petals less than twice the length of calyx . 12. 

 Stipules not spinescent, prickles not infra-stipular, but scat- 

 tered ; flowers in globose heads ; climbing shrubs. 

 Pods thick, fleshy, imperfectly dehiscent . . . . 13. A. concinna. 



Pods thin, flat, dehiscent. 



Leaflets subfalcate, subcoriaceous, pale or rust-coloured 



beneath . . . . . . . 14. A. ccesia. 



Leaflets narrow-linear, membranous, not pale beneath . 15. A. pennata. 



Several Australian species of this genus have been naturalised on the Nilgiris, 



A. eburnea. 

 A. leucophlcea. 



A. rupestris. 

 A. modesta. 



A. fen^uginea. 

 A. lenticularis. 



A. Catechu. 

 A. Suma. 



