2. Cjesalpinia. 



POINCIANA (p. 157). 

 COLTILLEA (p._lS7). 



3. Parkinsonia. 



Mezoneurum.] XXXI. LEGUMiNOSiE. 155 



Leaves bipinnate, common petiole long. 



Pod flat, thin, membranous, indehisoent, with a broad 



wing on the seminiferous suture . . . .1. Mbzoneueum. 

 Pod thick or more or less turgid, not winged. 

 Calyx imbricate, of 5 unequal sepals .... 



Calyx valvate, of 5 equal sepals 



Caljrxvalvate, of 4 sepals, the 2 upper connate . 

 Leaves bipinnate, common petiole short, spinescent, leaflets 



minute 



Leaves simple or bifoliolate. 

 Calyx gamosepalous ; seeds numerous . . . .4. Batjhinia. 

 Calyx of 5 nearly distinct sepals ;. pod 1-seeded . . 5. Haedwickia. 

 Leaves abruptly pinnate. 

 Calyx-tube turbinate, segments 4 ; petals 3 . . .6. Tamamndus. 

 Calyx-tube very short, segments 5 ; petals 5 . . .7. Cassia. 

 Calyx-tube long, fannel-shaped ; petals none . . 8. Saraca. 



1. MEZONEimnM, Desfontaines. 



Clim.'bing shiuts with, bipiiuiate leaves. Flowers in terminal or axillary, 

 solitary or panicled racemes. Calyx oblique, with 5 broadly -imbricate 

 segments, anterior segment larger, concave, outside in bud. Petals 5, 

 rather unequal. Stamens 10, free ; anthers uniform. Ovary with 2 or 

 more ovules, stigma terminal, truncate, or dilated. Legume indehiscent, 

 or nearly so, compressed, central suture longitudinally winged. Seeds 

 compressed, exalbumihous. 



1. M. cucullatum, W. & A. Prodr. 283. — Syn. Gcesalpinia cucullata, 

 Eoxb. Fl. Ind. ii. 368. Vern. Biskojprdh, Oudh ; Ragi, Bombay. 



A powerful climber, branches and petioles armed with strong hooked 

 prickles. Pinnae 3-7 pair ; leaflets 4-5 pair, coriaceous, shining, ovate, 

 acumiaate, 2-4 in. long. Flowers yellow in axillary and terminal panicles, 

 Composed of a few rigid racemes. Pods flat, shining, unarmed, foHaceous, 

 3-4 in. long, 1 in. broad, with a broad membranous wing on the semini- 

 ferous suture. Seeds 1-2. 



Bengal, Oudh forests, KoiLfcan, Western Ghats. Indian Archipelago. Fl. 

 Nov.-Feb. Fr. ripe March. 



2. CESALPIlflA, Liun. 



Trees or shrubs, often climbing, and armed with prickles. Leaves bi- 

 pinnate. Flowers white, yellow, or red, in simple or panicled racemes. 

 Calyx-lobes 5, imbricate, the lower outside and often larger. Petals 5, 

 orbicular or obovate, nearly equal. Stamens 10, free ; anthers uniform, 

 dehiscing longitudinally. Ovary free, inserted at the base of the short 

 calyx-tube;, ovules few. Pod compressed, coriaceous, indehiscent, or 2- 

 valyed. Seeds in some species separated by cellular partitions, generally 

 exalbuminous, with a short straight radicle. 



Pods covered with closely-set prickles ; a prickly climber . . I. C. Bonducella. 

 Pods smooth, without prickles. 



A prickly climber ; pubescent ; flowers in lateral racemes . 2. G. sepiaria. 



An erect, almost unarmed shrub; glabrous; flowers in ter- 

 minal corymbs 3. C. pulcherrima. 



