478 



LEGUMINOS^. 



The plants of the order are very generally distributed over the 

 globe, but many genera are very limited in their range. De Candolle 

 gives the following geographical distribution of the 3600 species 

 known in his day : — ■ 



Equinoctial America 



Basin of the Mediterranean 



East Indies ..... 



Cape of Good Hope 



Levant ...... 



New Holland ..... 



West Indies ..... 



Europe, excepting tlie Mediterranean 

 United States .... 



Mexico 



. 605 



. 468 



. 452 



. 353 



. 250 



. 229 



. 221 



. 184 



. 183 



. 152 



Equinoctial Africa ........ 130 



Siberia 129 



Arabia and Egypt ........ 87 



China, Japan, Cochin-China ...... 77 



Isles of Southern Africa 42 



South America, beyond the Tropics 29 



Canaries . . . ' . . . . . . ' 21 



South Sea Islands 13 



No native species occur in the island of Tristan d'Acunha, nor in the 

 cold Antarctic islands. 



The order has been divided into three sub-orders : — 1. PapOion- 

 acese ; papUionaoeous flowers, petals imbricated in sestivatipn, and 

 upper one exterior. This sub-order is subdivided into the tribes 

 Podalyriese, Lotese, Viciese, Hedysarese, Phaseoleee, Dalbergiese, 

 Sophorese ; according to the nature of the filaments, whether free or 

 variously united, the form and dehiscence of the legume, the cotyle- 

 dons whether fleshy or leafy, and the simple or compound nature of 

 the leaves. Examples — Podalyria, Lotus, Cytisus, Pisum, Hedysarum, 

 Phaseolus, Dalbergia. 2. Csesalpinieee ; flowers irregular, sub-papUion- 

 aceous, petals spreading, imbricated in aestivation, upper one interior, 

 stamens often free. Examples — Heematoxylon, Csesalpinia, Cassia, 

 Swartzia, Amherstia, Bauhinia, Copaifera, and Oeratonia. 3. Mimosese ; 

 flowers regular, petals valvate in aestivation, stamens free or mona- 

 delphous. Examples — Parkia, Mimosa, Acacia. 



6500 



75 



