LEGUMINOS#-MIMOSEZ. 29 
Xerocladia is a small bushy shrub, of the habit of several 
species of Strombocarpus, with recurved spinescent stipules, and 
its flowers collected into globular, axillary, pedunculate capitula. 
But the sessile ovary only contains a single ovule,* and becomes, we 
are told, a flattened, ovate-falciform, or half orbicular, indehiscent, 
one-seeded fruit, with the inferior suture flattened out into a wing. 
X. Zeyheri Harv., is the only known species of this genus, and is 
found at the Cape of Good Hope. 
The genus Dichrostachys’ derives its name from the peculiar 
appearance of the expanded inflorescence, due to the two kinds of 
flowers composing it. Those of the upper part of the spike‘ are 
fertile and hermaphrodite, like those of Gagnebina; while towards 
the base they are neuter or male’ through some of their stamens 
becoming much elongated and bearing pollen; but the gynzceum 
still remains sterile and rudimentary. In the hermaphrodite flowers, 
the stamens are much shorter and hypogynous, and their anthers are 
surmounted by a globular gland, which is borne on a filiform, rela- 
tively much elongated stalk. The fruit is a pod of a single cavity, 
compressed and more or less irregularly bent on itself, with a coria- 
ceous pericarp, either indehiscent or dehiscing irregularly by the 
separation of its valves and sutures. The seeds are those of Aden- 
anthera, but more elongated and obovate, and the embryo is sur- 
rounded by a coriaceous albumen. Four or five species of this 
genus’ are known, one African, one Australian, and the rest Asiatic. 
They are shrubs, whose branches often abort to some extent and 
are transformed into spines, with alternate bipinnate leaves, and 
solitary or geminate spikes, often drooping and usually borne on 
little peculiar branches that end in a spine, and bear closely-set 
leaves, inserted with numerous bracts towards the base. 
In inflorescence, Weptunia’ comes very near Dichrostachys; for 
1 Harv., Fl. Cap., ii. 278.—B. H., Gen, 
591, n. 383 (a very doubtful genus). 
2 «4.(v. 2-).ovulatwm” (B. H., Loe. cit.) 
3 DC., Mém, Légum., 428, t. 67; Prodr., ii. 
445.—Wieut & ArRn., Prodr., i. 271.—B. H., 
Gen., 592, n. 884.—Caillea Guitu. & PERR., 
FI. Seneg. Tent., i. 289.—ENDL., Gien., n. 6826. 
4 Its axis is here swollen. The surface is 
pitted with hollows in which the flowers, axil- 
lary to narrow bracts, are inserted. 
5 These are white lilac or red, while the 
upper flowers are yellow. 
6 Roxs., Pl. Coromand., t. 174.—Wtaut, 
Icon., t. 357.—BxEnru., in Hook. Journ,, iv. 
353; Fl. Austral., ii. 299—Harv. & Sonp., 
Fl. Cap., ii. 278.—Watp., Rep., i, 863; Ann, 
iv. 615.—Otiv., Fl. Trop. Afr., ii. 332. This 
author admits two species. 
7 Lour., Fl. Cochinch., éd. 1 (1790), 654.— 
DC., Prodr., ii. 445.—ENDL., Gen., n. 6828, a. 
—B. H., Gen., 592, u. 385. Most authors 
make this genus only a section of Desmanthus ; 
but the anthers of the latter lack the terminal 
gland. 
