ISO ORDER DECANDRIA. 



Tlie orders in the class Diadelphia, like those of the preceding 

 class, are founded upon the number of stamens. 



Order Pent-Octandria. 



We could not expect from the character of the class, "stamens 

 united into two sets," to find any plants with but one stamen. M^iose 

 with five or eight stamens are all placed in one order called Fent- 

 octandria, (five and eight stamens;) here v/e find the Corydali.'-', an 

 elegant plant with bulbous roots ; the corolla is rather ringent than 

 papilionaceous. Fumaria is nearly allied to Corydalis by natural 

 characters. In some cases the stamens have very broad bases, and 

 scarcely seem united in this class. We find here Polygala, one 

 species of which is called Seneca snake-root ; this not only pro- 

 duces a beautiful flower, but is valuable in medicine. We have 

 many species of this genus in our woods and meadows. 



Order Decandria.— Leguminous Plants. 



The tenth Order is wholly composed of plants with leguminous 

 pods ; the general character of these plants is, a calyx, often 5-part- 

 ed, corolla 5-petalled, inserted on the calyx, and consisting of a ban- 

 ner, two wings and a keel ; stamens generally 10, mostly united into 

 two sets, 9 and 1 ; germ free ; style 1 ; legume generally 2-valved, 1- 

 celled, sometimes transversely divided into many cells ; seeds atfixed 

 to the edge on one side. 



At Fig. 141, o, is a flower of this kind; 6, shows the stamens di- 

 vested of their petals ; c, shows the pistil, the germ already exhibit- 

 ing the form and appearance of the legume. 



In this large family of plants Math leguminous pods rsre niany 

 genera of great importance in the vegetable kingdom ; but wiien 

 we are able to give striking natural characters, there seems to be 

 less need of particularizing each genus. The form of the corolla 

 and the nature of the fruit, with few exceptions, settle the character 

 of this class. 



The most savage nations usually pay some attention to Diadel- 

 phous plants. When Ferdinand de Soto marched his army into 

 Florida, before the middle of the 16th century, he found the grana- 

 ries of the natives " well stored with Indian corn and certain legu- 

 minous seeds ;'■'' which were probably the Lima bean, (Doliclios.,) or 

 some species of that genus, for the natives still continue to culti- 

 vate them. 



The bean and pea tribes are found here. They consist of several 

 different genera, as the vetch plants, Vicia, in which are many cul- 

 tivated species, and the indigenous one, Americana. The Phaseolus, 

 or kidney-bean, has its native as well as exotic species. The pea, 

 so much valued as a table vegetable, belongs to the genus Pisum, a 

 species of which, called Beach-pea, is found upon the shores of lakes 

 and the sea-coast. The rattle-box {Crotnlaria) with its inflated per- 

 icarp, is a favourite with children, who find it on sandy plains ; it is 

 a low pubescent plant with yellow blossoms. Of clover ( Trijhlium) 

 there are many species, as the red, yellow, white, &c. The locust 

 tribe contains many ornamental shrubs and trees. 



The indigo {Indigofera tinctoria) of warmer climates, the red 

 sandal-wood of the East Indies, the liquorice, and the sensitive plant 

 are all of this class. The gum-arabic is obtained from the acacia 

 of the Nile, [Mimosa nilotica.) The liquorice of commerce is ob- 



Order Pent-Octandria— Corydalis— Polygala— Order Decandria— General character 

 t)f plants of this order— Savages cultivate these plants— Bean and pea tribe— Indigo, 

 liquorice, &c. 



