FABACEJE, OR LEGUMINOS^E. 



small, oblong, incumbent. Ovary smooth, pedicellate, tapering into a 

 slender style ; stigma simple. Legume short, inflated, gibbous, on a 

 long stipe, of a dark blueish colour. Seeds small subreniform. Torrey. 

 Yields indigo of indifferent quality. Roots and herbage antiseptic, 

 subastringent, cathartic and emetic. Barton, ii. 57. 



GENISTA. 



Calyx bilabiate, the upper lip 2-partite, the lower 3-toothed ; 

 or 5-lobed, the 3 lower being united almost up to the tip. Vex- 

 illum oblong ; keel oblong, straight, not completely enclosing the 

 stamens. Stamens monadelphous. Legume flat, compressed, 

 or occasionally rather turgid, with many or sometimes few seeds, 

 not glandular. Shrubs with yellow flowers. 



484. G. tinctoria Linn. sp. pi 998. Smith Eng.fi. iii. 263. 

 DC.prodr. ii. 151. Eng. Bot. t. 44. Fl. Dan. t. 526. 

 Common in meadows and groves in many parts of Europe. 



Root woody, creeping widely. Stems depressed, with numerous 

 ascending, rarely recumbent, straight, furrowed, leafy, smooth branches. 

 Leaves scattered, nearly sessile, elliptic-lanceolate, convex, of a 

 deep shining green, a little hairy at the edges and midrib, at least 

 while young. Flowers on short axillary stalks, crowded about the 

 summits of the branches, with a pair of small awl-shaped bracts, a 

 little below the base of the deeply cut, smooth, angular calyx. Petals 

 of a uniform bright yellow. Odd stamen very deeply separated. 

 Legume nearly cylindrical, with numerous seeds. Chiefly employed 

 in dyeing. The whole plant affords a good yellow colour, and with woad 

 a good green. Ray says the milk of cows feeding upon it is rendered 

 bitter, which flavour is communicated to butter and cheese. Smith. 



CYTISUS. 



Calyx bilabiate ; the upper lip generally entire, the lower 

 somewhat 3-toothed. Vexillum ovate, broad. Carina very ob- 

 tuse, enclosing the stamens. Stamens monadelphous. Legume 

 piano-compressed, many-seeded, not glandular. Small trees 

 or shrubs, with ternate leaves and yellow, purple or white 

 flowers. 



485. C. Laburnum Linn, sp.pl. 1041. Jacqfl. austr. t. 306. 

 DC. prodr. ii. 153. Bot. Mag. t. 176. (Hall. helv. n. 360.) 

 Mountains of Switzerland and Savoy. (Common Laburnum.) 



A small green-branched tree. Young shoots downy. Leaves on 

 long stalks ; leaflets rather glaucous, ternate, nearly sessile, oval, mucro- 

 nulate, a little downy on the underside, the terminal one larger than 

 the others ; petioles and subulate stipules downy. Racemes pendulous , 

 6 inches long, terminal, many-flowered, fragrant, downy. Calyx cam- 

 panulate, oblique, pushed inwards at the base, downy. Corolla large, 

 clear yellow. Legumes downy, linear, flat, thickened at each suture, 

 rather contracted between the seeds. Seeds oblong, compressed, 

 shining, smooth, deep greenish black. Seeds highly poisonous, pos- 

 sessing narcotico-acrid properties. This is supposed to be owing to the 

 presence of an active principle called Cytisin. 



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