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one 



MR. G. BENTHAM ON THE MIMOSE^. 649 



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M.ftirfuracea are like balls of wool, enclosing small, almost membranous pods, with 

 or two seeds, and are scarcely dehiscent. In the whole section there are very rarely 

 above four seeds and articles, except in the six species forming the very distinct series 

 Spicifiorcc, which might almost be regarded as a separate section, with the flowers of 



H 



Eii^nimosaj the habit of SchranJcia, and the pod of the subseries Schrmkioidece of llah- 

 basla. One of them, M. myriadena, is figured in the lower row. 



The remainder of the JfmoM-pods figured are those of the section Hahhasia, charnc- 

 terized by diplomerous stamens, and the pods most frequently, but not always, with 

 more than four seeds and articles. The thin membranous pod of M. acantholoha and 

 M. platycarptti the thick, convex, setose ones of M. brachycarpa and M. Claiisscni, the 

 rigid ones of M.flexiiosa and M. adversa, and the flat, shining, rather coriaceous, r(^t icu- 

 late ones of M. andina do not break up trans versally, and belonged to ihc section for- 

 merly distinguished on that account under the name of Ameria ; but ns the fruits of 

 more species become known, the distinction proved too artificial to be kepi up. Tji 

 M. horealis, M. dysocarpa, and a few others the valves fall away from the rim on tiro or 

 broken into articles in the same specimen; and some species, with the reticul.'it^ily 

 veined pod of 31. andina^ when quite ripe, have occasionally the transverse fissures 

 between the seeds irrespective of venation. M. acantholoha and J/, platycarpa, with 

 almost identical pods, differ very much in habit and inflorescence, that of the one beinLr 

 lobose-capitate, that of the other a long and slender spike 



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The two SchranMce figured at the end of the last row do not dilTcr as to the pod from 

 M, Clausseni, except in its proportionate length and breadth. In habit they are widely 

 removed from that species, but closely resemble M. Selloi, and stiU more M mvm (not 

 here figured), both of which, as well as some others, had been presumod to he Schranl.r 

 till the pod became known. ScnranUa platycarpa is, indeed, ^^-^* ^ ^^ 1^^ 

 as a SclanMa^ and the latter genus is still retained more as a matter of con^en.oneo 



than on strictly scientific grounds. cTi,.cIe«^ 



Plates LXVII. and LXVIII. represent the pods of twenty-six u of ^"- ^70 ^r^ 



of Australian PLyllodineous Aeacie.. one of '^^^^^ ^"^^ ^^l^:^^^ 



which it has been found hitherto impossible to breal^ "? '7° ^"^^^„,, ^„a ^.,„,, 



and 



f 



which ha\ 



the phyllodia, into series wnica n.>. "-—3 calyx and corolla been in any do^rr,- 

 ixuit; nor have the differences observable in the <^^ .^ p,^,,, ^Vll. 



more connected with the variations in ^"^^^ '^^ the spikes arc cylindrical or 



have aU glohose-capitate flowers ; m those "/ P'^'^ „„,, ,,^ract«r attrn.ul- 



elongated, with the pods equaUy variable in both w ^^^^^ t„r,;d, or nlmoH 



able to either except that they are more frequent y ^^^,J^^^^^ ^^^^^j^ „f ,h, ,pi„„y 

 woody in the Spka/a; than m the Capim<e. ^ ^ ^^^ ^,„,. ^^, 



twisted pod. the spire t«-°^" '^-^ "f V*a have rery little in common -- -" 



men 



even in the same pod; the three tigu ^^ ^^^ ^^^.^ ^^^^ ^^^ 



their phyllodia, infloi 



corola. -—^^^^ rache'llia sencs of the (hm 



-'•'n-' "..t::! rr^i*: « -" p-^' " -"■ - """ -' 



f/ertB; but others 



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