LEGUMJNOS^-CJESALPINIEM 



too, which lias been made the type of a distinct genua under the name 

 of Inteia? the number of* stamens is also reduced to seven. Of th< 

 three have well-developed fertile anthers — namely, the two superposed 



to the lateral sepals and the anterior one But on either side of this 

 last we only find a staminode or lateral steri! g ; and on either 



side of the median line of the posterior petal is a little stamen 

 whose anther is present, but has unequal cells or only one cell, and 

 contains no pollen.- .Moreover, the pod, dehiscing in two valves, I 

 thinner walls with ill-marked partitions between the seeds which 

 are exarillate. Aj':.'-I"i may then be split into two subgenera. Some 

 half-score species are known, 3 from tropical countries in the Old 

 World. The alternate leaves are pari- or subimparipinnate, with a 

 i'ew glabrous coriaceous leaflets. The flowers form simple or ramified 

 terminal racemes. Each flower is axillary to a caducous bract, and 

 accompanied by two concave more or less persistent lateral bractli 

 which are not sufficiently developed to cover the bud completely. 



Didelotic? is the genus of this group in which this reduction of 

 the perianth is carried to its greatest extent. We only find ten little 

 scales of very variable form on the rim of the concave receptacle, 

 representing the : pals and the five alternating petals ; and even 



of the- . eral may become almost imperceptible or be quite i 

 The protection of the sexual organs, usually assigned to the perianth, 

 here devolves on the two lateral bractlets, which, placed edge to edg 

 as in Berlinia, Vbuapa, Humboldtia, &c, long cover the whole flower- 

 bud. The androceum consists of ten free perigynous stamen 

 times these are all fertile, with intron * o-celled anthi someth 

 the five that correspond with the petals are reduced to H ile fila- 

 ments variably developed. The gynaeceum is that of the preced _ 

 _ uera, similarly situated on the vexillary side of the receptacle; it 

 becomes a flattened el' _ i d stipitate bivalve pod, with exalbu- 

 mino - Is. 'i\i ( : genus consists of thr< - from 



tropical Africa/ The alternate l< are paripii I _ one 



1 Dcp.-Th., v G -- 75. — kL 1. 17. — Bot. U 



DC, Prodr., ' - :.;... ')> 798. , t. 'A.— \. l'J. — 



Fl.Ind.-B — H.H., Wai — 



re Fl. 



'-• H. ]'..-.. ::. .': ' — 



ofth' . . V,. H., Ch .<., 1003, n. 351 <—Br 



- . ' 1 ? 



. '.' . , L 



_ 



