116 PULSE FAMILY. 



XXXVI. LEGUMINOS^, PULSE FAMILY. 



Distinguished by the papilionaceous corolla (Lessons, Figs. 

 261, 262), usually accompanied by 10 monadelphous or diadel- 

 phous or rarely distinct stamens (Lessons, Figs. 287, 288) and 

 the legume (Lessons, Figs. 393, 394). These characters are 

 combined in the proper Pulse Subfamily. In the two other 

 great divisions the corolla becomes less papilionaceous or 

 wholly regular. Alternate leaves, chiefly compound, entire 

 leaflets, and stipules, are almost universal in this great family. 



I. PULSE SUBFAMILY. Flower (always on the plan 

 of 5, and stamens not exceeding 10) truly papilionaceous, i.e. 

 the standard outside of and in the bud enwrapping the other 

 petals, or only the standard present in Amorpha. (For the 

 terms used to denote the parts of this sort of corolla, see 

 Lessons, p. 91.) Sepals united more or less into a tube or 

 cup. Leaves never twice compound, alternate in mature plants. 



A. Stamens separate to the base. (Plants not twining or climbing.) 

 * Leaves simple or of 3 digitate leaflets. 



1. CHORIZEMA. Somewhat shrubby, with simple and spiny-toothed leaves, scarcely any 



stipules, and orange or copper-red flowers. Standard rounded, kidney-shaped ; keel 

 straight, much shorter than the wings. Pod ovoid, turgid, several-seeded. 



2. BAPTISIA. Herbs, with simple entire sessile leaves and no stipules, or mostly of 8 



leaflets with deciduous or persistent stipules. Flowers yellow, blue, or white. 

 Standard erect, with the sides turned back, about equaled by the oblong and straight- 

 ish wings and keel. Pod inflated, coriaceous, stalked in the calyx, many-seeded. 



3. THERMOPSIS. Pod linear, flat. Flowers yellow. Leaflets obovate or oblong. Other- 



wise as Baptisia. . * Leaves odd-pinnate. 



4. CLADRASTIS. Trees, with large leaflets, no obvious stipules, and hanging terminal 



panicles of white flowers. Standard turned back ; the nearly separate straightisb 

 keel-petals and wings oblong, obtuse. Pod short-stalked in the calyx, linear, very 

 flat, thin, marginless, 4-6-seeded. Base of the petioles hollow and covering the 

 axillary leaf-buds of the next year. 



5. SOPHORA. Trees, shrubs, or herbs, with numerous leaflets, and mostly white or yel- 



low flowers in terminal racemes or panicles. Keel-petals and wings oblong, obtuse, 

 usually longer than the broad standard. Pod commonly stalked in the calyx, terete, 

 several-seeded, fleshy or almost woody, hardly ever opening, but constricted across 

 into mostly 1-seeded portions. 



B. Stamens monadelphous or diadelphous. 



% 1. Herbs, shrubs, or one a small tree, never twining, trailing, or tendril bearing, 

 with leaves simple or of 3 or more digitate leaflets, monadelphous stamens, and 

 the alternate 3 anthers differing in size and shape from the other 5; pod 

 usually several-seeded. 



* Leaves (in our species) all simple. 



6. OROTALARIA. Leaves with foliaceous stipules free from the petiole but running 



down on the stem. Calyx 5-lobed. Keel scythe-shaped, pointed. Stamens with the 

 tube of filaments split down on the upper side. Pod inflated. Ours herbs. 



