130 XXX. MOKINGE^. [Moringa... 



A small tree, to 20 ft. high, with a straight trunk 4-5 ft. girth, and a few 

 large divergent branches. Bark grey, soft, corky, and deeply cracked. Wood 

 coarse-grained, spongy, soft and perishahle. The tree is mainly cultivated on 

 account of its fruit, which is eaten as a vegetable, and preserved as pickle. 

 Leaves and flowers are likewise eaten. Twigs and leaves are lopped for fodder. 

 Incisions are made in the trunk, from which exudes a reddish gum, used in 

 native medicine. The root has a strong pungent flavour, much resembling 

 horseradish ; locally applied, it acts as a vesicant (Pharm. Ind. 61). From the 

 seeds of another species with unwinged seeds, M. aptera, Gsertn., of Africa, a 



{valuable oU (the Ben-oU. of watchmakers and jewellers) is obtained ; but, so far 

 as known, no oil is extracted from the seeds of this species in India. 



A second species, nearly allied to this, M. concanensis, Nimmo, grows wild 

 on the dry hills of Eajputana (Scdnjna), near Kishengurh and Bedjiore ; also 

 on the hills of Sindh (MhUa) and the Konkan. It has yellow flowers, and bi- 

 pinnate leaves, pinnse 4-6 pair, simply pinnate, except sometimes the lowest, 

 which are bipinnate, with broadly ovate leaflets, 1 in. long, on petioles \ in. 

 long, with 4-6 pairs of rather prominent lateral nerves. In Bajputana I found 

 it in leaf and flower in Dec. 1869 ; in the Konkan it is said to flower in Nov. 

 The unripe fruit is eaten. Bark thick, soft, corky. Wood soft and light. 



Oedeb XXXI. LEGUMINOS-aJ. 



Herbs, shrubs, or trees, extremely variable in appearance. Leaves gen- 

 erally alternate, compound, and stipulate ; inflorescence mostly indefinite. 

 Flowers bracteate ; calyx of 5 sepals, free or oftener connate ; petals 5 or 

 fewer, equal or unequal. Stamens 10 or numerous, rarely bypogynous, 

 more commonly inserted with petals on the base or inside of the calyx- 

 tuTje ; anthers 2-celled, cells parallel, generally opening longitudinally. 

 Pistil monocarpellary, rarely 2- or 5-carpellary ; ovules numerous, rarely 

 1 or 2, attached in 1 or 2 series to the inner suture. Fruit a pod (legume), 

 generally dry, indehiscent, or separating into 2 valves, along one or both 

 sutures. Seeds exalbuminous, or (in some CcBsalpinieai) albuminous; testa 

 coriaceous, sometimes horny, rarely thinly membranous ; embryo straight, 

 or the radicle bent upon the cotyledons, which are generally large, fleshy, 

 or foliaceous.— Gen. PI. i. 434 ; Eoyle 111. 180 ; Wight lU. i. 187. 



This large order comprises upwards of 6500 species, distributed nearly 

 over the entire globe. It is divided into three well-defined sub-orders — 

 PapiUonacece, Ccesalpiniece, and Mimosece. 



Calyx gamosepalous ; corolla papilionaceous ; petals free, 



unequal, imbricate, the posterior petal outside ; stamens 



generally diadelphous 1. Papilionace^. 



Calyx parted nearly to the base ; petals free, mostly unequal, 



imbricate, the posterior petal inside ; stamens free . . 2. C^salpikie^. 

 Calyx gamosepalous ; petals more or less connate, equal, val- 



vate ; stamens free or monadelphous . ... 3. Mimoseje. 



FlBST SUB-OEDEB, PAPILIONACEJE. 



Mostly herbs, rarely shrubs or trees. Leaves alternate, pinnate, or 

 digitate, rarely simple; stipules usually present; leaflets often stipeUate; 

 flowers bisexual, irregular. Calyx gamosepalous, often 2-lipped, the upper 



