LEGUMINOSZ-CZSALPINIEA. 99 
petals are five in number, of which the posterior is superposed to 
the posterior sepals.’ The stamens are ten in number,’ and the 
gynzceum is inserted slightly excentrically by a slender foot. The 
ovary contains numerous descending ovules, and is surmounted by 
a style which is slightly dilated at its stigmatiferous apex. Two 
species® of this genus are known, fine trees from the west of tropical 
Africa; their leaves are paripinnate, with only one or two pairs of 
broad coriaceous leaflets, and the very large flowers, covered with 
brownish velvety down, form short subterminal racemes. 
The Tamarind-tree* (Fr., Zamarinier ; figs. 73-76) has the same 
floral symmetry as the preceding genera, but certain abortions occur 
in the corolla and androceum. The receptacle forms a long tubular 
cavity, on whose rim are borne four imbricate sepals, of which the 
posterior one really represents two calycine leaves. The corolla has 
but three petals, one posterior, and two lateral which overlap the 
former in the bud.’ The androceum consists of nine stamens, as in 
Heterostemon, Elisabetha, &c., the one exactly superposed to the 
vexillary petal being absent. The rest are far from being all 
fertile; this is only the case with those superposed to the three 
anterior sepals. These three have subulate filaments, becoming free 
above to support an introrse two-celled anther which dehisces longi- 
tudinally ; the six others are reduced to sterile tongues above, while 
the lower parts of their filaments are united into a long curved tube 
cleft. posteriorly. The gyncetim, inserted on top of the posterior 
wall of the receptacular tube, consists of a stipitate ovary ending in 
a curved style, slightly dilated at its stigmatiferous apex. The ovary 
contains a variable number of slightly descending anatropous ovules, 
whose micropyles look upwards and outwards. The fruit, or tamarind 
(Fr., tamarin), is straight, elongated, subcylindrical or somewhat 
flattened, with its margins continuous or irregularly pinched in 
between the seeds (fig. 73). Its epicarp is pretty thick, crustaceous 
and fragile ; the thick pulpy mesocarp, gorged with acidulous juice, 
1 This is the largest of the sepals, and repre- 
sents the two posterior leaves of the calyx. 
2 Their filaments are reflexed in the bud, and 
then their versatile anthers are lodged in the 
space between the gynzceum and the walls of 
the receptacle. 
3 Vel unius varietates.”” (BENTH.) 
4 Tamarindus T., Inst., 660, t, 445.—L., 
Gen., n. 46.—ADans., Fam. des Pl, ii. 319.— 
Lamx., Dict., vii. 561; Suppl, i. 281; TU, 
t. 25.—J., Gen., 347.—Gartn., Fruct., ii. 310, 
t. 146.—DC., Prodr., ii. 488.—Spacu, Suit. a 
Buffon, i. 111.—Envt., Gen., u. 6778.—B. H., 
Gen., 581, n. 348. 
5 It is only exceptionally that we find the 
posterior petal overlapping the lateral ones (as 
in fig. 75) on both sides or on one only. (See 
A@aRDH, Theor., 212.) 
H 2 
