258 THE MIMOSA FAMILY. 



NeptiDiia Floridaiia, 



FAMILY COLOUR ODOUR RANGE TIME OF BLOOM 



Mimosa. Yellozu. Scentless. Florida to Louisiana. April-June. 



Flowers : growing thickly in nodding, rounded, or oval heads at the ends of long, 

 slightly scabrous, axillary peduncles. Stamens: consisting of a number of narrow, 

 petal-like, sterile filaments and ten fertile ones. Legntncs : oblong; slightly tipped 

 at the apex, glabrous, growing in rounded clusters. Leaves : abruptly twice-pin- 

 nate with ovate pointed stipules, the leaflets very tiny, numerous, oblong, fringed on 

 the margins. Stem : two to three inches long ; ascending or spreading; roughened 

 by minute, scattered, scabrous pubescence. 



In dry, sandy soil are sometimes seen the little yellow balls of this plant's 

 bloom. No doubt its personality would readily suggest its kinship with the 

 sensitive brier, but, although more or less rough, it is not covered with the 

 prickles and has, therefore, not the means of cleverly thrusting itself on 

 the people's attention. So it passes without even a common name. 



THE SENNA FAMILY. 



CaesalpindcecE. 



A group iiidiidmg trees., shrubs a7id herbs with simple, or coitipoiind^ 

 alternate leaves ivhich usually have stipules ; and i?-?'egular, or almost 

 regular flowers., oftc?t appearing pea-shaped. Calyx : usually in 

 divisio?is of five. Petals : usually five and imbricated. Stamens : ten or 

 less. Fruit : a legume, 



RED BUD. AflERICAN JUDAS=TREE. 



Ccrcis Canadensis. 



FAMILY SHAPE HEIGHT RANGE TIME OF BLOOM 



Senna. Croivn^ spreaditzg, JIat. \o-^o feet. Texas and Florida February-April. 



to New Jersey. 



Bark : purplish grey. Leaves : with petioles swollen at the ends, and early 

 falling stipules ; broadly ovate ; truncate or cordate at the base, the apex con- 

 tracted into a blunt point where the mid-vein sometimes projects a bristle ; pal- 

 mately-veined ; entire; glabrous, or slightly pubescent in the axils of the under 

 veins. Fltnvers : several, growing together on slender pedicels in sessile, umbel- 

 like clusters on the old wood and appearing before or just as the leaves unfold ; 

 acrid. Calyx: red. Petals: rosy pink, the wings over-lapping or covering the 

 small standard. Pods : linear oblong ; winged along the seed-bearing margin and 

 containing many flat, puckery seeds. 



On grey, dull days when the spring is approaching, it is fairly startling to 

 look up from one's surroundings and find the red bud in bloom ; for like 

 the reddest burst of sunset it lightens up the tree's bare branches and all 



