224 XLVII. LEGUMINOS^E. TEPHROSIA. 



petaliferous, barren flowers ; radical ped. with apetalous, fertile flowers. A 

 very slender vine, in woods and thickets, Can. and U. S. Stem twining, rough 

 backwards, 4 8f in length. Leaflets very thin, 1 3' long, | as wide, lateral 

 ones oblique at base. Racemes axillary, few-flowered. .Flowers pale purple. 

 CcPuline legumes smoothish, with 3 4 dark purple seeds. Radical legumes 

 often subterraneous, with one large, compressed, brown seed. Jl. Sept. 



11. ROBINIA. 



In memory of John Robin, herbalist to Louis XIV. 



Calyx short, campanulate, 5-cleft, the 2 upper segments more or 

 less coherent ; vexillum large ; alee obtuse ; stamens diadelphous 

 (9 & 1 ) ; style bearded inside ; legume compressed, elongated, many- 

 seeded. Trees and shrubs with stipular spines. Lvs. unequally 'pin- 

 nate. Fls. showy, in axillary racemes. 



1. R. PSEUDACACIA. Locust Tree. 



Branches armed with stipular prickles; Ifts. ovate and oblong-ovate; 

 roc. pendulous, smooth, as well as the legumes. Native in Penn. and the more 

 Southern and Western States, and abundantly naturalized in N. Eng. In the 

 durability, hardness and lightness of its timber, and the beauty of its foliage 

 and flowers, it is exceeded by few trees of the American forest. West of the 

 Alleghanies it sometimes attains the height of 80f with a diameter of 3 or 4. 

 In N. England it seldom exceeds half these dimensions. The pinnate leaves 

 have a beautiful symmetry of form, each composed of 8 12 pairs of leaflets, 

 with one at the end. These are oval, thin, nearly sessile, and very smooth. 

 Flowers in numerous, pendulous clusters, diffusing an agreeable fragrance. 

 Pod narrow, flat, with 5 or 6 small brown seeds. When young, the tree is 

 armed with thorns which disappear in its maturity. May. 



2. R. VISCOSA. Vent. Clammy Locust. Slipular spines very short ; branch- 

 lets^ petioles and leg. glandular- viscid; Ifts. ovate; roc. crowded. This beauti- 

 ful tree is from the South, where it attains the height of 40f. The flowers 

 numerous, rose-colored, in erect, axillary clusters, with the thick, dark green 

 foliage, "render this tree one of the most brilliant ornaments of the park or the 

 garden. Apr. 



3. R. HISPIDA. Rose Acacia. Stipular spines almost wanting ; shrub mostly 

 hispid ; roc. loose, suberect. A beautiful shrub, native of the Southern States. 

 It is cultivated in our gardens for the sake of its numerous, large, red flowers. 

 Height 3 5f. May. 



8. rosea has its branches nearly smooth. 



12. COLUTEA. 



Calyx 5-toothed ; vexillum with 2 callosities, expanded, larger than 

 the obtuse carina ; stigma lateral, under the hooked summit of the 

 style, which is longitudinally bearded on the back side ; legume in- 

 flated, scarious. Shrubs with unequally pinnate leaves. 



C. ARBORESCENS. Bladder Senna. Lfts. elliptical, retuse ; vex. shortly gib- 

 bous behind. A hardy, free-flowering shrub, native of Italy, &c., growing 

 almost alone on the summits of Mt. Vesuvius. Stems 8 12f high. Leaflets 

 about 9. Flowers large, yellow, with a broadly expanded banner. In medi- 

 cine the leaves are used instead of senna. Jn. Aug. -f 



13. TEPHROSIA. 



Gr. retypes, ash-colored; in allusion to the color of the foliage. 



Calyx with 5, nearly equal, subulate teeth ; bracteoles ; vexillum 

 large, orbicular ; keel obtuse, cohering with the wings ; stamens dia- 

 delphous (in the following species) or monadelphous ; legume linear, 

 much compressed, many-seeded. Herbs and shrubs, with unequally 

 pinnate haves. 



