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LEGUMINOSEAE (PULSE FAMILY) 



lEGTJMINOSEAE (Pulse Family) 



Herbs, shrubs, and trees with alternate, usually compound leaves. 

 Flowers usually irregular, with lo stamens and a single pistil be- 

 coming a pod in fruit. The irregular corolla is said to be papilion- 

 aceous, that is, with the upper petal larger than the others, and 

 enclosing them in a bud, usually turned backward. The two lateral 

 ones exterior to the two lower ones, which are more or less co- 

 herent, forming a keel enclosing the stamens and pistil. 



GLEDITSIA 



Thorny trees with once or twice pinnate leaves, and incon- 

 spicuous greenish regular flowers in small spikes. 3 to lo dis- 

 tinct stamens, and a flat many-celled 



Ml Ti I /\ P°*'- 



G. triacanthos. Honey Locust. 

 Thorns stout, often 3-pronged; leaflets 

 lanceolate-oblong; pods linear, elon- 

 gated (2 to 5 dm. long), often twisted, 

 filled with sweet pulp between the seeds. 

 Rich woods. May, June. 



CERCIS 



Cercis canadensis, Redbud. 



Trees with heart-shaped, simple 

 leaves, reddish-purple, almost regular flowers in umbels, appear- 

 ing before the leaves. 10 distinct stamens, and an oblong, flat, 

 many-seeded pod. 



C. canadensis, Redbud. A small tree 

 with pointed leaves and pods nearly 

 sessile. Rich soil. 



LUPINUS 



Herbs with palmately-compound 

 leaves and showy blue flowers in ter- 

 minal racemes. Stamens monadel- 



phoUS. A scythe-shaped, oblong keel. ^upinus perennis. Lupine. 



Pods flat. 

 L. perennis. Lupine. Somewhat hairy, stem erect, 3 to 6 dm. high ; 



