284 DECANDRIA. DIGYMA. 



reflected. Stigma beardless. Legume compress- 

 ed, oblong, many-seeded. — R. Brown. Hort. 

 Kew. 3. p. 4. 



A small genus of trees or shrubs, with pinnated leaves 

 and flowers in erect or pendulous racemes, which are 

 yellow, white or blue. Probably not a natural group. 



Species. 1. V. lutea. Racemes pendulous, legumes 

 flat and petiolate; flowers yellow. A tree whose bark af- 

 fords a yellow dye, similar to V. aurea. The whole tree 

 except in the colour of its flowers, strongly resembles 

 Robinia Pseiidacacia. An occidental tree, hitherto found 

 only in the mountains of Tennessee. 



Of this genus there are 2 species at the Cape of Good 

 Hope, 1 which is shrubby in New Spain, and 1 called Y 

 aurea in Abyssinia. 



Order II.— DIGYNIA. 



404. HYDRANGEA, i. 



Calix superior, 5-toothed minute. Tetals 5. 

 Cflps?t^c mostly 2-celled, striate, ojiening betwixt 

 the persistent styles by a terminal foramen. 

 Seeds many, longitudinally striate. 



Shrubs with opposite leaves; flowers cymose, in 11. giier- 

 cifolia subpanicuiate, margin of the cyme radiate, radii 

 masculine or imperfect; — (flowers in H. vidgans often 

 with 3 styles and a capsule of 3-cells; capsule properly 

 superior, invested by the cohering calix, septa marginal; 

 styles each terminating downwards in a 2-jobed pendu- 

 lous receptacular placenta; seeds small, marked with 

 about 10 striee. Proper capsule when divested of the ca- 

 lix, dividing horizontally above the middle.) 



Species. 1. H. vulgaris. The whole plant distinctly 

 pubescent, more particularly the nerves on the under side 

 of the leaf; leaves concolor, broad oval, acuminate, sharp- 

 ly dentate, cyme mostly naked, styles 2 and 3. Obs. H. 

 eordata? also of Mr. Pursh. 2. nirea^ Leaves broad-oval, 

 acuminate, obsoletely dentate, under side whitely tomen- 

 tose; flowers constantly radiate. 3. quercifolia. ' Leaves 

 sinuately-lobed; ferruginously tomentose on the under 

 side; cymes radiate, paniculate. Hab. In Florida and c« 

 the Mississippi, near Jvfatchcz. v. ». 



