PULSE FAMILY. 121 



§ 4. Berbs, with abruptly pinnate leaves, the common petiole terminated by a tendril, 

 by which the plant climbs or supports itself, or in many low species the tendril 

 reduced to a mere bristle or tip, or in Cicer, which has toothed leaflets, an odd 

 leaflet commonly takes its place ; peduncles axillary ; stamens almost always 

 diadelphous. Cotyledons very thick, so that they remain underground in ger. 

 mination, as in the Pea. 



t Leaflets entire or sometimes toothed at the apex ; radicle bent on the cotyledons ; 

 style inflexed and bearded ; pod flat or flattish. 



47. PI8UM. Lobes of the calyx leafy. Style rigid, dilated above and the margins reflexed 



and joined together so that it becomes flattened laterally, bearded down the inner 

 edge. Pod several-seeded ; seeds globose. Flowers large. Leaflets only 1-3 pairs. 



48. LATHYEUS. Lobes of the calyx not leafy. Style flattened above on the back and 



front, bearded down one face. Pod several-seeded. Seeds sometimes flattish. 

 Leaflets few or several pairs. 



49. VICIA. Style slender, bearded or hairy only at the apex or all round the upper part. 



Pod 2-several-seeded. Seeds globular or flattish. Leaflets few or many pairs. 

 60. LENS. Lobes of the calyx slender. Style flattish on the back, and minutely bearded 

 down the inner face. Pod 1-2-seeded. Seeds flattened, lenticular. Flowers small. 



• • Leaflets toothed all round, and usually an odd one at the end in place of a tendril; 

 style incurved, naked ; radicle of the embryo almost straight. 



bl. CICER. Calyx 5-parted. Pod turgid oblong, not flattened, 2-seeded. Seeds large, Ir- 

 regularly rounded-obovate, pointed. Peduncle mostly 1-flowered. 



II. BRASILETTO SUBFAMILY. Flowers more or less 

 irregular, but not papilionaceous; when they seem to be so, 

 the petal answering to the standard will be found to be within 

 instead of outside the other petals. Stamens 10 or fewer, 

 separate. The leaves are sometimes twice pinnate, which is 

 not the case in the true Pulse Family. Embryo of the seed 

 straight, the radicle not turned against the edge of the 

 cot} ledons. 



♦ Leaves simple and entire. Corolla appearing as if papilionaceous. 

 62. CERCIS. Trees, with rounded heart-shaped leaves, minute, early, deciduous stipules, 

 and small but handsome red-purple flowers in umbel-like clusters on old wood, earliei 

 than the leaves, rather acid to the taste. Calyx short, 5-toothed. Petals 5, the one 

 answering to the standard smaller than the -wing-petals and covered by them ; the 

 keel-petals larger, conniving but distinct. Stamens 10, declining with the style. 

 Pod linear-oblong, flat, thin, severai-seeded, one edge wing-margined. 



• « Leaves simply abruptly pinnate. Calyx and corolla almost regular. 

 68. CASSIA. Flowers in ours yellow. Calj'x of 5 nearly separate sepals. Petals .5, 

 spreading, unequal (the lower larger) or almost equal. Stamens 10 or 5, some of the 

 upper anthers often imperfect or smaller, their cells opening by a hole or chink at the 

 apex. Pod many-seeded. 



« » » Leaves, or at least some of them, twice-pinnate. 



54. C.<ESALPINIA. Trees or shrubs, chiefly tropical, with mostly showy red or yellow 



perfect flowers. Calyx deeply 5-cleft. Petals 5, broad, spreading, more or less un- 

 equal. Stamens 10, declining, along with the thread-shaped style. Pod flat. 



55. GYMNOCL.\DUS. Tall, thornless tree, with large compound leaves, no stipules, and 



dioecious or polygamous, wh'tisli, regular tlowers in corymb-like clusters or short 

 racemes terminating the branches of the season. Calyx tubular below, and with 5 

 spreading lobes, the throat bearing 5 oblong petals and 10 short stamens, those of the 

 fertile flowers generally imperfect. Pod oblong, flat, very hard, tardily opening, with 



