LEGUMINOSZ-PAPILIONAOCE. 205 
are usually tipped by a gland or a point (mucro). The pod is 
bivalve, usually many-seeded. 
The embryo of Brongniartia presents a peculiar character very rare 
in Papilionacee ; its radicle is straight as in Cesalpiniee. The seed 
has a little aril.’ The genus consists of erect shrubs, with the 
Astragalus monspeliensis. 
Fia. 162. Fie. 163. Fig. 164. 
Flower (3). Longitudinal section of flower. Androceum and gynzceum. 
flowers in terminal racemes, or in pairs in the axils of the leaves. 
The anthers are muticous; the ovary pluriovulate. The pod 
always opens by two valves. The three genera Lamprolobium, 
Harpalyce, and Brongniartia compose the subseries Brongniartiee. 
Astragalus (Fr., Astragale, figs. 161-164) is the type of Astragalee. 
which also includes Ozytropis, Biserrula, Gueldenstedtia, Glycyrrhiza 
(Liquorice, Fr., Réglisse—fig. 165) Calophaca, Halimodendron, and 
Caragana. These are herbs or shrubs, rarely trees. The flowers are 
solitary or in racemes or umbels, but always axillary. The flower 
has an erect standard, often narrow, with its sides reflexed, diadel- 
phous stamens with muticous anthers, and a pluriovulate ovary 
with a glabrous style. The fruit is compressed cylindrical, or 
oftener turgid or bladder-like, frequently divided into two false 
cells by a longitudinal partition springing from one of the car- 
pellary sutures. 
1 Forming a fleshy excrescence from the hilum. 
