LEGUMINOS2A-MIMOSEA. 37 
shorter than in the American species. The gynzceum is inserted 
in the very bottom of the cornet at the base of the corolla. In the 
male flowers it is only a little rudimentary ovary; in the female or 
hermaphrodite flowers it is a long sessile ovary, containing numerous 
descending ovules in two vertical rows, and surmounted by a style, 
whose stigmatiferous head is somewhat dilated and concave. The 
fruit is a large compressed pod with very thick woody walls, opening 
into two valves, which become recurved outwards with considerable 
elastic force. The seeds, of variable number, are flattened and of irre- 
gular oval outline ; their coriaceous integuments enclose a compressed 
fleshy exalbuminous embryo, whose cotyledons are decurrent at the 
base, enclosing the radicle in a sort of nearly complete sheath. 
Pentaclethra consists of trees whose alternate bipinnate leaves possess 
numerous leaflets, with lanceolate stipules and setaceous stipels. 
The flowers are arranged in ramified spikes. Besides the two species 
just mentioned, the west of tropical Africa produces a third, recog- 
nised only as a doubtful member of the genus, namely, P. (?) 
Griffoniana.* 
IV. ACACIA SERIES. 
The Acacias’ (figs. 28-35) have regular hermaphrodite or poly- 
gamous flowers. In the former the receptacle may be convex or 
more or less concave; it supports a calyx of five, or more rarely four 
or even three, leaves, cohering to a variable extent and valvate in 
the bud, rarely reduced to little scales or cilia. The corolla consists 
of an equal number of valvate petals, free or united for a variable 
distance.’ The stamens are indefinite in number, usually very nu- 
merous, inserted either beneath the gyneceum, or at a certain height 
above its base, beneath the edges of the receptacular cup; or even 
outside a glandular cupule, which lines the cavity of the receptacle 
and expands more or less beyond it. The filaments are free, or more 
rarely coherent below for a short distance into one or several bundles. 
The anthers are two-celled introrse, dehiscing longitudinally.“ The 
1H. Bn., in Adansonia, vi. 205. Gen., n. 6834.—B. i, Gen., 594, n. 391.— 
2 Acacia T., Instit., 605, t. 375.—Apans., HH. By., in Adansonia, iv. 45. : 
Fam. des Pl., ii. 819.—J., Gen., 346.—NEcK., 3 Bither because the corolla is gamopetalous, 
Elem., n. 1297.—Lamx., Dict. i. 8.—W., or through its pieces simply sticking together 
Spec., iv. 1049.—K., Mimos., 74.—DC., Prodr., edge to edge up to a certain height. 
ii. 448.—Spacu, Suit. a Buffon, i. 63.—ENDL., 4 The pollen has in this series generally a pe- 
