114 PULSK FAMILY. 



remarkable for hanging edgewise. !FIowers in early summer ; ripening in late 

 autumn, the large and indurated pod 5' - 10' long and 1^' - 2' wide ; the seeds 

 over I' across. 



54. GLEDITSCHIA, HONEY-LOCUST. (Xamed for the early Ger- 

 man botanist, Glediisch.) !F1. early summer, inconspicuous, ripening the pods 

 lute in autumn. Thorns simple or compound ; those on the branchlcts above 

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

 clusters on spurs mostly once pinnate. 



G. triac&nthos, Three-thokned Acacia or Comjios H. Wild in 

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

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

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

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

 no thorns. 



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

 and broader oval leaflets. 



G. mouosp^rma, One-seeded or Watek 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. (Erom Greek word (o mimic, i. o. 

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

 • in Texas and farther S. The following are herbs, procumbent or ti-ailing, 

 . with bristly short pods. 



M. pudica, 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. ® 



M. Strigill6sa, Wild S. Rough with appressed stiflT bristles, not prickly; 

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

 pairs of oblong-linear leaflets ; flowers rosc-eolor ; oblong head on very long 

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



56. SCHBANKIA, SENSITIVE-BRIEE. (Xanicd for a German 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 ruder handling : flowers rose-purple, small, in globular ^ 

 heads on axillary peduncles, in summer. ^ 



S. uncin^ta. Stems, petioles, peduncles, and oblong-linear short-pointed 

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

 strong veins underneath. 



S. angust&ta. Prickles scattered, weaker, and less hooked ; leaflets oblong- 

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



67. DESMANTHITS. (Greek-made name, meaning that the flowers are 

 hound together : they are merely crowded in u 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 6-1.5 pairs of partial petioles, each hearing 20-30 pairs of 

 very small naiTow leaflets, one or more glands on the main petiole, small heads 

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



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



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

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

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

 paniclcd heads of ratlicr large pale rose-purple flowers, the long and lustrous 

 tilamrnts, like silky threads in tufts (giving the popular name), being mainly 

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



