XXV. LEGUMINACE^E : 



197 



tree, or otherwise work with the wood in a green state. Little appears to 

 be known of the uses of the tree in China and Japan : but it is said that ihc 

 fruit is employed to dye a fine yellow ; and the flowers for dyeing a yellow of 

 so superior a hue, that it is exclusively reserved for dyeing stuffs to be worn 

 by the members of the imperial family. None of the arboreous Leguminacese 

 are equal to this tree in beauty of foliage and bark. Its flowers, when they 

 are produced, are also in large terminal compound spikes, and very con- 

 spicuous, though much smaller than those of the Robinitf viscosa. One re- 

 markable property in the foliage of the sophora is, that the very hottest and 

 driest seasons do not turn it pale, or cause it to drop off, as heat does that of 

 most of the other pinnated-leaved Leguminaceae. The pendulous variety is 

 well deserving of culture as an object of singularity and beauty; and, whjre 

 it is desired to cover a surface with intense green foliage during summer, for 

 example, a dry hillock, a plant of this variety, placed on the centre, will ac- 

 complish the purpose effectually. The tree will thrive in any free soil ; but, 

 in cold climates, it ought to be placed in one rather poor and dry tnat it may 

 be compelled to make shorter shoots j which, of course, being less succulent, 

 are more easily ripened. It is generally propagated by seeds imported from 

 France ; but, where it is desired to have trees that will soon come into flower, 

 seedling plants should be grafted with scions from a flowering tree. It will 

 grow by cuttings, more especially of the roots, and also by layers. 



& 2. S. HEPTAPHY'LLA L. The 7>leaf- 

 leted Sophora. 



Identification. Lin. Spec., 533. ; Dec. Prod., 2. 



p. 98. ; Don's Mill., 2. p. 110. 

 Engravings. Humph. Am., 4. p. 50. t. 22. ; and our 



fig. 295. 



Spec. Char., fyc. Leaflets 7, glabrous. 

 (Don's Mill.) A deciduous shrub. 

 China. Height 6 ft. Introduced in 

 1830. Flowers yellow ; October. 



There are plants of S. heptaphylla in 

 the Hort. Soc. Garden, which have 

 flowered and appear to be quite hardy, 

 but as they do not exactly agree with 

 Rumphius's figure, especially in the 

 number of leaflets, we wish our engrav- 

 ing to be considered as of doubtful 

 authenticity. The living plants alluded 

 to are sufficiently distinct, and deserve 

 a place in collections. 



295. Sophbra heptaphylla. 



GENUS II. 



VIRC3FLL4 L. THE VIRGTI.IA. Lin. Syst. Decandria Monogjnia. 



Identification. Lam. 111., t. 346. ; Pers. Ench., 1. p. 453. ; R. Brown in Hort. Kew., ed. 2. vol. 3. p. 4.; 



Dec. Prod., 2. p. 98. ; Don's Mill., 2. p. 111. 

 Derivation. Named by Lamarck in honour of the poet Virgil, whose Georgics entitle him to botanic 



commemoration. 



Gen. Char. Calyx 5-cleft. Petals 5, about equal in length. Vexttlum with 

 the edijes not reflexed. Stigma beardless. Legume compressed, oblong, 

 2-vaived, many-seeded. (Don's Mill.) 



Leaves compound, impari- pinnate, deciduous ; with 9 1 1 leaflets. Flowers 

 yellow, in racemes. There is only one hardy species, a deciduous low tree. 



o 3 



