LEG UM1N0SJZ-MIM0SE2E. 



25 



proper, while the flowers are in globular heads. Altogether about thirty 

 species of Piptadenia are known ; x with the exception of two doubtful 

 species from tropical Africa, 2 they are all natives of tropical America. 

 They are trees or shrubs, naked or covered with prickles, with bipin- 

 nate leaves whose petiole and rachis are almost always glandular. 



In habit and inflorescence Plathymenia 3 is very like Stryphno- 

 dendron, or the racemose species of Piptadenia. Its flowers are alto- 

 gether those of the former genus in perianth, 4 androceum, and stipi- 

 tate ovary, down to the disk internal to the androceum. But the fruit 

 differs from that of. Piptadenia, fflephantorrhiza, and Entada, though 

 possessing features of each. Thus the cavity of the pericarp is 

 single, and its exocarp 5 splits along the sutures into two valves, as 

 in Piptadenia. But, as in Mephantorrhiza, this separates from the 

 endocarp ; which last divides transversely, as in Entada, into as many 

 indehiscent joints as there are seeds. These resemble those of 

 Stryphnodendron, and are attached by long slender funicles. This 

 genus is Brazilian, comprising two species, 8 shrubs, with bipinnate 

 leaves whose petiole and rachis are usually glandular. 



In Xytia, 7 as in the section Niopa of Piptadenia, the flowers are 

 arranged in pedunculate globular capitula, either solitary axillary, 

 or collected into terminal racemes. Each flower, often hermaphro- 

 dite, pentamerous or tetramerous, is sessile in the axil of a bract. Its 

 receptacle forms a little cornet, on whoso rim are inserted a gamo- 

 sepalous calyx with four or five valvate teeth, a corolla whose petals 

 are also valvate and free, or slightly coherent at the base, and eight 

 or ten stamens arranged in two whorls, with free filaments and in- 

 trorse two-celled anthers, each surmounted by a little stipitate gland 

 which falls very early. 8 The gymeceum is the same as in Adenan- 

 I kera. The fruit is a thick, woody, compressed, sickle-shaped, sessile, 

 bivalve pod, with false dissepiments interposed between the obovate 



1 Velloz., Fl. Flumin., xi. t. G, 1(3, 40 — 

 K., Mimos., t. 25, 30. — Walp., Rep., i. 858; v. 

 578; Arm., ii. 450. 



2 Hook. F., Niger, 330.— H. Bk., in Adan- 

 sonia, vi. 211.— Oliv., J7. Trap. Afr., ii. 328. 



3 Hentji., in Hook. Journ., iv. 333. — B. 11., 

 Gen., 589, n. 375. — Chrysoxylon CiSAR., Nov. 

 Slirp. Decad., 59. 



4 The upper part of the corolla is sometimes 

 slightly imbricated. 



5 We use this word for shortness to designate 

 the epicarp and mesocarp together. 



6 Velloz., Fl. Fhmin., iv. t. 72, c\ Casab. 

 (?).— Walp., Rep., i. 85S. 



7 Benth., in Hook. Jown., iv. 117. 1>. H., 

 Gen., 594, n. 390. 



8 The existence of this gland has been over- 

 looked, so that Xylia, which possesses tiic in- 

 florescence of Leuccena has been hitherto placed 

 near it; hut yet, despite the slight value ..I 



a character, it' we use it to distinguish ' 

 therecs, ami absolutely refuse it to E 

 Xi/lin must perforce he intercalated in V. a - 

 under consideration. 



