XXIII. LEGXJMINOSAE. 99 



One of the largest natural orders. Genera, 400. Species, &,600, Distributed over the tem- 

 perate and tropical regions of the earth, but less developed in New Zealand than in any other 

 temperate country, only 8 genera being represented, o£ which Carmichaelia, Corallospartium, Hut- 

 tonella, and Notospartium are endemic, except one species o£ the first, which is restricted to Lord 

 Howe's Island, while Swainsona and Clianthus are restricted to Australia and New Zealand. 

 Representatives of nearly 20 exotic genera are more or less naturalised, and often occur in great 

 abundance. The order is divided into three suborders. All the indigenous species belong to the first. 



SuBOEDEB I.— PAPILIONACEAE. 



Corolla irregular or rarely nearly regular, imbricate, the upper petal or 



standard broadest, outside the others in bud and in most eases refiexed; the two 



equal lateral petals or wings and two lower petals parallel with the wings are 



often coherent by their lower margins, forming the keel. Stamens usually 10, 



the uppermost free, 9 united by the filaments forming a sheath around the 



ovary, open above, or rarely all the filaments united or all free. 



This suborder includes a. large number of economic plants— the pea, bean, kidney-bean, and 

 other legumes ; various clovers, medieks, and other forage-plants. Many species yield drugs and 

 timbers of great value. ' 



Tribe I. GENISTEAB.* — Herbs or shrubs, with simple or 3-foliolate leaves. Stamens all united 

 by their filaments into a sheath. 



* LupiNua. Calyx deeply bilabiate. Pod compressed. Leaflets 3-12, digitate. 



* Ulex. Calyx 2-lipped. Branches spinous. 



* Oytisus. Calyx 2-lipped, minutely toothed. Leaves 1-3-foliolate. Branches fur- 



rowed. 



II. TEIFOLIEAE.* — Herbs or shrubs. Leaves pinnately or digitately 3-foliolate ; vein- 

 lets usually produced into minute teeth. Racemes or flower-heads axillary. 

 Upper stamens free. 



* Mbdioago. Racemes short. Pod spiral, rarely small and 1-seeded. 



* Meliloius. Racemes elongated. Pods short, thick, indehiscent. 



* Tbifolium. Elower-heads terminal or axillary. Petals with their claws adherent 



with the staminal tube. Pods mostly included in the calyx. 



III. LOTEAE.* — Herbs or small shrubs. Leaves pinnate ; leaflets entire. Flowers capi- 



tate or umbellate. Stamens men- or diadelphous. Pod 2-valved, dehis- 

 cent or indehiscent. 



* Anthylms. Pod included in the inflated calyx, 1- or many-seeded. 



* Lotus. Pod exserted, linear, dehiscent, many-seeded. 



IV. GALEGEAE. — Herbs, shrubs, or trees, rarely climbers. Leaves pinnately 3- or many- 



foliolate. Upper stamen free, or rarely all united. Ovules 2 or more, rarely 1. 

 Pod 2-valved, turgid or flat, not articulate. 



* Indigofeba. Anthers tipped with a small gland. Pod 4-angled. Leaflets with 



obscure veins. 



* RoBiNiA. Leaflets stipellate. Flowers large, in pendulous racemes. Pod flat. 



1. CoEALLOSPABTiUM. Stem yellow, atout, leafless. Pods compressed, silky, de- 



hiscing along the suture. 



2. OABMiOHAEiiiA. Leafless or leaves very deciduous. Pods short, turgid or com- 



pressed ; valves falling away from the persistent consolidated margins. 



3. HniTONELLA. Branchlets terete or compressed. Pod obovate, with an upturned 



beak, broader than deep, sutural but indehiscent. 



4. NOTOSPABTIUM. Branohlets pendulous, leafless. Pods shortly stipitate, linear, 



torulose or constricted, many-seeded, the seeds solitary in the cells. 



5. CmANThus. Racemes pendulous. Flowers large, crimson. Petals acute. Style 



bearded beneath the stigma. Pod terete, many-seeded. 



6. Swainsona. Herb. Racemes axillary, peduncled, erect. Petals obtuse. Pod 



membranous, inflated. . ; 



