180 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



{Absus, Cathartocarpus, Psilorhegma), subequal or higher stamens 

 smaller; anthers subuniform 2-celled introrse, dehiscing by 2 short 

 oblique, confluent or poriform, slits at apex, or more rarely by a 

 basilar aperture ; or else 3-5 higher stamens smaller or sometimes 

 very small, imperfect or abortive, sterile. Germen free, sessile or 

 stipitate, central, straight or oftener arched, co-ovulate ; style short 

 or long; stigma terminal small, either truncate, or more rarely 

 swollen, minutely ciliate, concave, or else urceolate containing 

 papillae. Legume either terete or crasso-compressed, woody, divided 

 by transverse septa between seeds, indehiscent {Cathartocarpus) or 

 2-valved, piano-compressed {Cham amino) ; or thin membranous 

 much compressed, thickened in middle over seeds, subindehiscent 

 {Senna), at base and apex usually acute {Chamacrista, Absus), more 

 rarely winged, bare within or septate between seeds or full of pulp. 

 Seeds transverse or more rarely longitudinal {Prososperma), horizon- 

 tally or vertically compressed, more rarely quadrilateral subterete ; 

 embryo albuminous ; cotyledons flat or more rarely arched or 

 undulate ; radicle short straight. — Trees, shrubs, or herbs ; leaves 

 alternate paripinnate, rarely reduced to phyllodes ; stipules and 

 petiolar glands variable or ; flowers in axillary or terminal, simple 

 or branched compound racemes, more rarely solitary or few in each 

 axil ; bracts and bractlets variable {All tropical and subtropical and 

 a few temperate regions). See p. 116. 



49 ? Petalostyles E. Br. — Flowers of Cassia ; stamens 5, subhy- 

 pogynous ; 3 fertile anterior, anthers 2-rimose ; 2 sterile acuminate. 

 Germen sessile oc-ovulate ; style dilated into a petaloid cuculate 

 much reflexed 3-lobed sac ; middle lobe longer stigmatiferous at 

 apex. Legume oblong-linear piano-compressed oblique, 2-valved. 

 Seeds oblique compressed albuminous ; funicle dilated into a small 

 fleshy aril ; cotyledons flat ; radicle short straight. — An unarmed 

 shrub ; leaves imparipinnate ; stipules small caducous ; flowers 

 axillary solitary pedunculate {Australia). See p. 121. 



50. Labichea Gaudich. — Flowers of Cassia, 4-5-merous. Stamens 

 2, free, usually unequal; 1 sometimes sterile; anthers basifixed, 

 2-porous at apex. Germen free, sessile or shortly stipitate, pauci- 

 ovulate ; style short ; stigma small terminal. Legume oblong or 

 lanceolate, compressed 2-valved. Seeds compressed albuminous 



