LEGUMIN08JE-C2E8ALPINIEJ:. 123 



The flowers of Labichea 1 (figs. 106, 107) also come very near those 

 of Cassia, and may be pentamerous or tetramerous. The calyx and 

 corolla are imbricated in the bud, and the posterior petal, internal in 

 the bud, differs from the rest in size and colour. The number of 

 stamens is reduced to two, placed close against the posterior sepal ; 

 each consists of a short free filament and an elongated basifixed two- 

 celled anther, dehiscing by apical pores." The gynseceum is formed 

 of an ovary containing two or three descending ovules, and surmounted 



Labichea cassioides. 



Fig. 106. Fig. 107. 



Flower. Longitudinal section of flower. 



by a style with a tapering stigmatiferous apex. The fruit is elon- 

 gated, flattened, and bivalve, containing one or two seeds, whose 

 funicle is dilated around the hilum, and whose embryo is surrounded 

 by hard albumen. Labichea consists of unarmed shrubs or under- 

 shrubs, with imparipinnate or subdigitate leaves, which may even 

 only possess one leaflet. The flowers form short racemes in the axils 

 of the leaves ; each flower is axillary to a caducous bract, and is 

 accompanied by two sterile bractlets. The five known species are 

 Australian. 3 



Very near to the flower of Cassia is that of Dicorj/i/ia, 4 with its 

 five thick much -imbricated sepals, and only three (superior) petals. 

 The androceum consists of only two stamens, nearly hypogynous, 

 whose thick, elongated, unequally bowed, warty or rugose, extrorse 

 two-celled anthers dehisce by two short subapical clefts, and are 

 supported by thick filaments, one of them being much the longer. The 



1 Gatjdich., in Freycin. Toy. Hot., 485, t. 3 Benth., Fnum. PI. Hiigel., 41 ; Fl. Aus- 

 112.— DC, Prodr., ii. 507.— Endl., Gen., n. tral., ii. 292.— Paxt., Mag. But., x. 149, icon.— 

 6782.— B. H., Gen., 573, n. 328. Lindl, & Paxt., Fl. Gard., t. 52.— Meissn., 



2 These stamens, though seemingly super- in Hot. Zeit. (1855), 12. — Walp., Rep., i. Ml ; 

 posed to the two posterior sepals, are always un- v. 561; Ann., ii. 112 ; iv. 600. 



equal, and appear as if of different ages; the 4 Benth., in Hook. Journ., ii. S2. — Endl., 



anther of one of them is acuter and narrower, Gen., n. 6772 1 . — B. II., Gen., 571, n. 324. 

 and oftentimes contains no pollen. 



