114 PULSE FAMILY. 



remarkable for hanging edgewise. Flowers in early summer ; ripening in late 

 autumn, the large and indurated pod a' - 10' long and 1 J' - 2' wide ; the se-eds 

 over J' across. 



54. GLEDITSCHIA, IIONEY-LOCUST. (Named for the early Ger- 

 man botanist, Ghditscli. ) M. early summer, inconspicuous, ripening the pods 

 late in autumn. Thorns simple or compound ; those on the brancmets above 

 the axils. Leaves on growing shoots of the season twiee pinnate ; those in 

 clusters on spurs mostly once pinnate. 



G. triaeanthos, Theee-thoksted Acacia or Common H. Wild in 

 rich soil from Penn. S. & W., also commonly planted for shade, sometimes used 

 for hedges : a rather tall tree, with light foliage, large often very compound' 

 thorns flattish at the base and tapering, small lanee-oblong leaflets, and linear 

 flat pods 9' - 20' long, often twisted or curved. A var. ineemis has very few or 

 no thorns. 



G. Sinensis, Chinese H., occasionally planted, has stouter conical thorns, 

 and broader oval leaflets. 



G. nionosp6rina. One-seeded or Water H. Swamps from Illinois 

 S. W. : small tree, with slender thorns, ovate or oblong leaflets, and oval 1-seeded 

 pods, containing no pulp. 



55. MIMOSA, SENSITIVE-PLANT. (From Greek word to mimic, i. e. 

 the movements imitating an animal faculty.) There are wild shrubby sjiecies 

 in Texas and farther S. The following are herbs, procumbent or trailing, 

 with bristly short pods. 



M. pudiea. Common S. Beset with spreading bristly hairs and somewhat 

 prickly ; the leaves very sensitive to the touch, of very numerous linear leaflets 

 on 2 pairs of branches of the common petiole, crowded on its apex, so as to 

 appear digitate ; flowers rose-purple, in slender-peduncled heads, in summer. 

 Cult, from South America, (j) 



M. strigilldsa, Wild S. Rough with appressed stiff bristles, not prickly; 

 leaves with 5 or 6 pairs of branches of the common petiole, each bearing 10-14 

 pairs of oblong-linear leaflets ; flowers rose-color ; oblong head on very long 

 peduncle. Wild on river-banks far S. : fl. summer, y. 



56. SCHRAKKIA, SENSITIVE-BRIER. (Named for a Gei-man bot- 

 anist, Schrank. ) Two species wild in dry sandy soil, S. & W., spreading on 

 the ground, appearing much alike, with leaves closing like the Sensitive- 

 Plant, but only under mder handling : flowers rose-purple, small, in globular 

 heads on axillary peduncles, in summer, y. 



S. tmcinkta. Stems, petioles, peduncles, and oblong-linear shortpointed 

 pods beset with rather stout hooked prickles ; leaflets elliptical, reticulated with 

 strong veins underneath. 



S. angustita. Prickles scattered, weaker, and less hooked ; leaflets oblong, 

 linear, not reticulated ; pods slender, taper-pointed. 



57. DESMANTHUS. (Greek-made name, meaning that the flowers are 

 hound together : they are merely crowded in a head. A few species very far 

 S., and the following W. 



D. brach^lobus. Prairies from Illinois S. & W. : nearly smooth, l°-4<' 

 high, erect, with 6-15 pairs of partial petioles, each bearing 20 - 30 pairs of 

 very small nan-ow leaflets, one or more glands on the main petiole, small heads 

 of whitish flowers, followed by short 2 - 6-seeded pods ; stamens 5. y. 



58. ALBIZZIA, SILK-ELOWEE. (Named for an Italian botanist.) 

 A. Julibrissin, Silk-Elowek or Silk-Tree, from Asia, planted for 



ornament S. : a small tree, with leaves of numerous pairs of partial petioles, 

 each bearing about 60 oblong acute leaflets, which appear as if halved, and with 

 panicled heads of rather large pale rose-purple flowers, the long and lustrous 

 filaments, like silky threaxls in tufts (giving the popular name), being mainly 

 conspicuous ; pod 5' - 6' long, oblong-linear, very flat and thin. 



