PULSE FAMILY. 139 



54. CJESALPINIA. (For the early Italian botanist, Coesalpinus.) 



C. pulcherrima, Swartz. BARBADOES FLOWER FENCE. Small tree, 

 prickly ; leaves twice-pinnate ; leaflets numerous, oblong, notched at the 

 end ; racemes terminal, open ; flowers large and showy ; petals short-- 

 clawed, broad, jagged-edged, 1' long, reddish orange ; filaments crimson, 

 3' long. Trop. Africa. Cult, in some conservatories ; planted S. 



55. GYMNOCLADUS, KENTUCKY COFFEE TREE. (Greek: 

 naked branch, referring to the stout branches destitute of spray.) 



G. Canadensis. Lam. Bark rough ; leaves twice-pinnate, 2 or 3 

 long, each partial leafstalk bearing 7-13 ovate stalked leaflets, except the 

 lowest pair, which are single leaflets (2'-3' long) ; the leaflets standing 

 edgewise ; flowers in early summer ; ripening in late autumn ; large thick- 

 walled pods, 5'-10' long and lJ'-2' wide ; seeds bony, over ' across. 

 W. N. Y. S., and especially W. 



56. GLEDITSCHIA, HONEY LOCUST. (For the early German 

 botanist, Gleditsch.) Flowers early summer, inconspicuous ; pods rip- 

 ening late in autumn. Thorns simple or compound ; those on the 

 branchlets are above the axils. 



G. triacanthos, Linn. A rather tall tree, with light foliage ; thorns large 

 (sometimes wanting), often very compound, flattish at the base and taper- 

 ing ; leaflets small, lance-oblong ; pods linear, flat, 9'-20'long, often twisted 

 or curved. Rich soil from W. N. Y., S. and W. (Lessons, Figs. 95, 160.) 



G. aquatica, Marsh. WATER LOCUST. Small tree ; thorns slender ; 

 leaflets ovate or oblong ; pods oval 1-seeded, containing no pulp. Swamps 

 Mo. to S. Ind., S. C. and S. 



57. MIMOSA, SENSITIVE PLANT. (Greek: a mimic, i.e. the 



movements imitating an animal faculty.) (Lessons, Fig. 490.) 



M. pudica, Linn. COMMON S. Beset with spreading bristly hairs and 

 somewhat prickly ; leaves very sensitive to the touch, of very numerous 

 linear leaflets on 2 pairs of branches of the common petiole, crowded on 

 its apex, so as to appear digitate ; flowers in slender-peduncled heads, in 

 summer. Cult, from South America. 



58. SCHRANKIA, SENSITIVE BRIER. (For a German botanist, 

 Schrank.} Two species wild in dry sandy soil, S. and W., spreading 

 on the ground, appearing much alike, with leaves closing like the Sen- 

 sitive Plant, but only under ruder handling ; flowers in globular heads 

 on axillary peduncles, in summer. 2Z 



S. uncinata, Willd. Stems, petioles, peduncles, and oblong-linear 

 short-pointed pods beset with rather stout, hooked prickles ; leaflets ellip- 

 tical, reticulated with strong veins underneath. 



S. angustata, Torr. & Gray. Prickles scattered, weaker, and less 

 hooked ; leaflets oblong-linear, not reticulated ; pods slender, taper-pointed. 



59. DESMANTHTJS. (Greek: bond, flower; the flowers are crowded 

 in a head.) 



D. brachylobus, Benth. Nearly smooth, l-4 high, erect; partial 

 petioles 6-15 pairs, each bearing 20-30 pairs of very small, narrow leaf- 

 lets ; one or more glands on the main petiole ; small heads of whitish 

 flowers, followed by short 2-6 seeded pods ; stamens 5. ^ Prairies 

 from Ind. S. and W. 



