84 



NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



Fig. 54. 

 Fruit (|). 



The only known species of this genus is G. dioica, 1 the Nicker 

 Tree or Kentucky Coffee Tree {Chicot de Canada), a large unarmed 

 tree with alternate pinnately-decompound leaves. The common 

 rachis bears first a pair of petiolulate leaflets, and above this secondary 



ribs also charged with leaflets, borne 

 GMitscMaferox. on stalks f the third order. On the 



midrib, as on the secondary ones, the 

 arrangement is paripinnate, the ends of 

 the ribs aborting and being reduced 

 to a thin sterile filament which withers 

 early. Both secondary and tertiary 

 ribs have each one a stipellary tongue at 

 the articulated base, and the leaf itself 

 has also ill-developed pectinate lateral 

 stipules at the base. 2 The flowers are 

 in simple or ramified terminal racemes. 

 Gleditschic? (Fr., Fevier) has a tur- 

 binate or campanulate receptacle, from 

 three to five sepals, as many petals, 

 and a variable number of stamens in 

 two pentamerous or incomplete verticils. 

 The ovary contains either two ovules 

 or an indefinite number, and the ter- 

 minal style ends in an irregularly- 

 swollen simple or bifid head, sometimes 

 reflexed, and covered with large stigma- 

 tic papillae. The fruit is a large straight 

 section of fruit, flattened pod, tapering at both ex- 

 tremities and indehiscent, or incom- 

 pletely and irregularly dehiscent. The outside of the pericarp 







. ' 



Fig. .".". 



the cotyledons are often somewhat folded on 

 themselves, and their bases form a sheath around 

 the radicle. The seed-coat is triple. Outside is 

 a thin smooth, softish membrane. The second 

 coat is a thick horny layer, on whose surface is 

 seen the raphe. The albumen often becomes a 

 light ink colour. It is unequal, sending oblique 

 projections into the depressions of the embryo. 



1 G. canadensis Lame., loc. cit. ; Snppl., ii. 

 229.— Michx., Ff. Bor.-Amer., ii. 241, t. 51.— 

 A. Gray, Man., 109. — Quilandina dioica L., 

 Spec, 516. 



- Axillary to each leaf are two superposed 

 buds. The lower and younger, though bidden 

 by the dilated base of the petiole, is not com- 

 pletely enveloped by it. 



a L., Gen., n. 1159 (Gledilsia). — AdaITS, 

 Fam. des PL, ii. 319. — J., Gen., 346. — G.ertn., 

 Fruct., ii. 311, t. 146. — Foie., Diet., 641, 

 Supph, ii. 64-1 ; 111., t. 857. — DC, Mem. Legum., 

 i.t. 22; Prodr., ii. 179.— Spach, Suit, a Buffon, 

 i.90.— Endl., Gen., n.6756.— B. H., Gen., 568, 

 1002, n. 313. 



