leguminosji-cjesalpiniej:. 145 



its two faces. It appears to be indehiscent, and contains in chambers 

 formed by its endocarp a variable number of seeds borne on slender 

 funicles ; their coats, resembling those of Erytkropfdmum* enclose a 

 thick albumen of peculiar texture, 2 which in turn envelopes a greenish 

 embryo. B. filicifolia is a small unarmed tree from the islands off the 

 east coast of tropical Africa. Its alternate bipinnate leaves consist 

 of a very large number of little leaflets, and its flowers form ramified 

 false racemes on the wood of the young branches. 



To R. Brown 3 is due the formation of the group C&salpiniea,* by 

 some authors considered a distinct order, 5 but by most regarded as a 

 mere suborder of Leguminosa* It is most difficult to find a single 

 character which will really distinguish CcesalpiniecB absolutely from 

 the rest of LeguminoscB. Still, generally speaking, the embryo is 

 straight, 7 and the imbrication of the corolla is not vexillary. But 

 there are several members of the series Bauhiniem in which the radicle 

 is curved, and on the other hand in many Bapilionacete the radicle 

 is quite straight. Again, we have found that in such genera as 

 Cadia, Tamarindus, Vouapa, &c, the vexillary petal is sometimes 

 overlapping, sometimes overlapped, on one or both sides, 8 and others 

 like Duparquetia, in which the imbrication is always vexillary ; while 

 among Papilionacete we shall occasionally find plants where this 

 same vexillary aestivation of the corolla is far from constant. Hence, 

 making all proper reservations, we may say the CcesalpinietB are, very 

 generally speaking, Lcguiniuosa with straight embryos and a non- 

 vexillary aestivation. 



All those other characters to which considerable importance is 



1 The middle coat is extremely hard, and out- 283.— J. G. Agabdh, T/uor. Syst. Plant. 

 s'ule it is a soft layer, which in water swells, and (1858), 212. 



then gives way, and cutis up irregularly. 6 <*•> ( ->'">-< '■' i: '- &c— DC, Prodr., ii. (1825), 



2 It has a ' farinaceous or subcrystalline ap- 473 (subord. iv.) — Endl., Gen., 1310 (trib. viii.). 

 pearance; in water it breaks up and becomes — Lindl., Teg. Kingd., 549. — B. H., Gen., I 

 translucent, especially in certain parts, and (lis- 457 (subord. ii.) 



solves like aleurone. 7 1)( '-. Prodr., ii. 94, tab. synopt., " Le 



3 Gen. Rem.. 1 9 ; Congo, 10 ? Misc. Works, min ibrice, nemp 



ed. Benn., i. 23, 100, 240 (Lomentacem v. Cces- recta." He subdivides this group into M\ 



alpiniece). in which the petals are valvate, and the stamens 



4 It was really Adakson who, in 1763, dis- bypogynous; and CasaVpinieas, in which the 

 tinguished this group in the order Legvminosee petals are imbricated, and the stamens perigynous. 

 as " Premiere section : les Casses." He in- We need scarcely dwell on the over precisi 

 eluded however the few Mimosece then known. absolute characters of this grouping. 



(See Fam. des PL, ii. 3)7.) 8 See pp. 71, 99, 103. 



5 A. Buongn., Enum. (1843), 132, Fam. 



vol. ir. 



j, 



