178 MANN, 



Order XXIV. LEGUMINOSE^. 



Herbs, shrubs, or trees, with alternate and usually compound 

 leaves, with stipules. Calyx of (4 or) 5 sepals, more or less united, 

 the odd sepal inferior. Corolla of 5 petals, either papilionaceous or 

 regular. Stamens perigynous or hypogynous. Ovary single and sim- 

 ple. Truit a legume, which takes various forms. Seed nearly or 

 usually quite destitute of albumen. — An immense order, yielding many 

 products of great value to man ; and botanically divided into three 

 suborders : — 



Papilionaceje, which is characterized by the papilionaceous co- 

 rolla, — the vexillum or superior petal always external in aestivation, 

 — ten diadelphous, monodelphous, or I'arely distinct perigynous sta- 

 mens, and the radicle bent on the large cotyledons. Leaves (rarely 

 simple) only once pinnately compound. — Familiarly represented by 

 the Pea (Lathyrus Fisiim), and Bean {Phaseolus hmatits). 



C^salpinEjE, in which the corolla is less distinctly papilionaceous, 

 and the vexillum is covered by the lateral petals in aestivation ; the'sta- 

 mens are distinct, and the embryo straight. The leaves are often bi- 

 pinnate. — To this suborder belongs the Tamarind ( Tamarindus Indi- 

 cus), which represents it well. 



Mimosa (represented with us only by the Sensitive Plant and the 

 Acacia) has a perfectly regular calyx and corolla, the latter mostly 

 valvate in aestivation and hypogynous, as well as the stamens, which 

 are sometimes definite but often very numerous. The leaves are fre- 

 quently bi - tripinnate. 



Stjbordek I. PapilionaceSB. — Corolla papilionaceous, the upper petal {vexillum 

 or standard), outside in the bud. 



Leaves simple or of three digitate leaflets. Stamens monadelphous, 1. Ceotalaria. 

 Leaves of 3 piunately arranged leaflets, i. e. the two lateral inserted 

 below the terminal one. Stamens diadelphous (9 & 1), 

 rarely monadelphous. 

 Tree, with wings and keel of the flower very small, standard large, 7. Erytheina. 

 Twining or sometimes trailing woody vines, with large flowers. 



Standard and keel long and narrow, wings short, 8. Steongylodon. 



Standard broad and shorter than the rest of the petals ; keel 



acute, 9. MucuNA. 



Standard very broad, as long as the other petals, 10. Dioclea. 



Twining or sometimes trailing herbs ; pod not jointed. 



Keel spirally twisted or coiled, 12. Phaseoltjs. 



Keel incui'ved, often pointed. 



Wings nearly free ; stigma lateral, 13. ViGNA. 



Wings adherent to the keel ; stigma terminal, .... 14. Dolichos. 

 Wings free; stigma terminal; calyx very unequal, . . 11. Cajstavalia. 

 Erect or spreading herbs, or woody at base. 

 Pod sometimes jointed. 



Pod not jointed, 15. Cajanits. 



Pod jointed, joints easily separating, 5. Desmodium. 



