CHAPTER XXX. 



LEGUMINOSJG. 



I. The Order Leguminosse ranks next to the Compositas in 

 number of species, about seven thousand being recorded. The 

 Order is divided into three Sub-orders, namely, Casalpinea, 

 Mimosea, and Papilionacem. The two former are almost entirely 

 tropical and possess little of interest or importance for the 

 farmer : the Papilionacese, however, includes some of the most 

 important fodder crops known, and the seeds of several species 

 are utilised as human food. 



SUBORDER FAFILIONACEiE. 



2. General characters of the Sub-Order. — Flowers irregidar, 

 protandrous, medianly zygomorphic, slightly perigynous; cal)rx 

 gamosepalous, five-partite ; corolla, usually polypetalous, though 

 in red clover and some other plants of this order the bases of 

 the petals are united with each other and with the filaments of 

 the stamens; the lower part of the corolla in such cases is 

 tubular. The petals are irregular and five in number, the 

 posterior one is large and conspicuous and is termed the 

 ' standard ' or vexillum of the corolla ; besides these are two 

 lateral petals known as the 'wings' or alee, and two anterior 

 petals more or less coherent by their margins and forming a 

 boat-shaped structure called the 'keel' or carina in which the 

 gynsecium and stamens are enclosed and protected. This form 

 of corolla, from its fanciful resemblance to a butterfly, is termed 

 papilionaceous, and is characteristic of the sub-order. The androe- 



