LEGUMINOSJ2. (PULSE FAMILY.) 123 



ORDER 32. LEGUMINOS^. (PULSE FAMILY.) 



Plants with papilionaceous or sometimes regular flowers, 10 (rarely 5 and 

 sometimes many) monadelphous, diadelphous, or rarely distinct stamens, and 

 a single simple free pistil, becoming a legume in fruit. Seeds mostly without 

 albumen. Leaves alternate, with stipules, usually compound. One of the 

 sepals inferior (i. e. next the bract) ; one of the petals superior (i. e. next 

 the axis of the inflorescence). A very large order (nearly free from 

 noxious qualities), of which the principal representatives in northern tem- 

 perate regions belong to the first of the three suborders it comprises. 



SUBORDER I. PAPILJONACEJE. PROPER PULSE FAMILY. 



Calyx of 5 sepals, more or less united, often unequally so. Corolla peri- 

 gynous (inserted into the base of the calyx), of 5 irregular petals (or very 

 rarely fewer), imbricated in the bud, more or less distinctly papilionaceous, 

 i. e. with the upper or odd petal, called the vexillum or standard, larger 

 than the others and enclosing them in the bud, usually turned backward 

 or spreading ; the two lateral ones, called the wings, oblique and exterior 

 to the two lower petals, which last are connivent and commonly more or 

 less coherent by their anterior edges, forming a body named the carina or 

 keel, from its resemblance to the keel or prow of a boat, and which usually 

 encloses the stamens and pistil. Stamens 10, very rarely 5, inserted with 

 the corolla, monadelphous, diadelphous (mostly with 9 united in one set 

 in a tube which is cleft on the upper side, i. e. next the standard, and the 

 tenth or upper one separate), or occasionally distinct. Ovary 1 -celled, some- 

 times 2-celled by an intrusion of one of the sutures, or transversely 2 - 

 many-celled by cross-division into joints : style simple : ovules amphitro- 

 pous, rarely anatropous. Cotyledons large, thick or thickish: radicle 

 incurved. Leaves simple or simply compound, the earliest ones in ger- 

 mination usually opposite, the rest alternate : leaflets almost always quite 

 entire. Flowers perfect, solitary and axillary, or in spikes, racemes, or 



panicles. 



A. Stamens monadelphous or diadelphous. 



Tribe I. GENISTE.&J. Shrubs or herbs, never climbing, with simple or palmately com- 

 pound leaves, and peduncles terminal or opposite the leaves. Stamens monadelphoua : an- 

 thers of two forma. Pod continuous. 



1. Lnpinns. Calyx deeply 2-lipped. Keel scythe-shaped, pointed. Pod flat. 



2. Crotalaria. Calyx 5-lobed. Keel scythe-shaped, pointed. Pod inflated. Leaves simple. 



3. Genista. Keel straight, deflexed. Pod usually flat. Leaves simple. 



Tribe II. TRIFOL.IE JE. Herbs, not climbing, with 3 - (rarely 5 - 7-) foliolate leaves, 

 the veinlets of the leaflets often running into minute te"eth, and the stipules united with the 

 base of the petiole. Peduncles axillary. Stamens diadelphous : anthers uniform. Pod small 

 and 1- few-seeded, or coiled. 



4. Trifolinm. Flowers capitate. Pods membranaeeous, 1 - 6-seeded. Petals adherent to 



the stamen-tube. 



5. Melilotus. Flowers racemed. Pods coriaceous, wrinkled, 1-2-seeded. 



6. Medicago. Flowers racemed or spifced. Pods curved or coiled, 1 - few-seeded. 



