DIADELPHIA DECANDRIA 



433 



olatc. cuspidate, nerved, ciliate. Racemes 2 or 3-flowercd, rather above the 



ils of the leaves, subsessile ; pedicels short, with subulate-lanceolate bracts at 



and near the middle. Sepals (sometimes 4, Torr.), ovate-lanceolate, acumin- 



le gomewhat pilose externally along the middle, yellowish. Petals yellow, obo- 



' Stamens 5, all fertile; anthers large, truncate, purplish. Ovary villose; 



style 'short, thick, recurved; stigma obliquely truncate. Legume an inch to an 



neb and half long, and 2 or 3 lines wide, much compressed, sublinear, obliquely 



truncate, or with a short abrupt oblique acumination, hirsute with appressed hairs. 



Hob. Sandy banks ; roadsides, <fcc. frequent. Fl. August. Fr. October. 



3 c. Chamxcrista, X. Stem erect, or decumbent ; leaflets in many 

 pairs, linear-oblong, obtuse, mucronatc ; gland on the petiole cup-shaped, 

 or peltate, sessile ; racemes lateral, super-axillary, few-flowered, fascic- 

 ulate, subscssile ; stamens 10, unequal ; legumes sparsely hirsute. 

 Beck, Hot. p. 94. 

 j'^/^—Scnsitive Pea. Partridge Pea. Magothy-bay Bean, 



Root annual. Stern 1 to 2 feet high, rather erect, terete, firm and subligneous at 

 base, much branched, pubescent, often purplish. Leaflets in 8 to 10 or 12 pairs* 

 half an inch to 3 quarters in length, and 2 to 3 lines wide, obtuse, oblique at base, 

 smooth, minutely ciliate-serrulate, subsessile ; commoJi petioles about 1 third of an 

 inch long below the lower pair of leaflets, hirsute, with a depressed or cup-like 

 gland on the upper side ; stipules obliquely ovate-lanceolate with a long tapering 

 point, nerved, ciliate. Flotcers larger than in the preceding, in lateral subsessile 

 fascicles above the axils of the leaves, often in pairs, sometimes 3 or 4 ; pedicels 

 half an inch to 3 quarters in length, hairy, bracteate at base, and near the flower J 

 bracts subulate-lanceolate. Sepals ovate-lanceolate, with a subulate acuminatum 

 pilose externally along the middle, yellowish brown. Petals deep bright yellow* 

 obovate,2or3of them with a purple spot at base. Stamens 10, unequal, all fertile; 

 outliers very long, subsessile, 4 of them yellowish, and 6 purple. Ovary villose ; 

 style long, rather slender, recurved ; stigma small. Legume about 2 inches long, 

 and 1 fourth to 1 third of an inch wide, compressed, sublinear, with a short abrupt 

 oblique acumination, hairy along the sutures, sparingly so on the valves. 



Hob. Chestnut hill, near Pughtown: rare. FL July— Aug. Fr. Sept— Octo. 



Oba. This resembles the preceding; but is a stouter, and more erect, showy 

 plant. It was detected in the above locality, the present season (1836), by Mr. 

 Joseph Ri.mbhart. Six or seven additional species, of this very extensive genus, 

 have been found in the U. State*. 



354. CERCIS. L. Mitt. Gen. 402. 

 [Greek, Kerkis, a weavers shuttle ; from the form of the legume.] 



Calyx obtusely 5-toothed, gibbous at base. Corolla somewhat papil- 

 ionaceous ; petals all distinct, unguiculate, the -wings larger. Stamen* 

 free, unequal. Ovary substipitate. Legume oblong, much compres- 

 sed, 1-celled, many-seeded, the upper suture margined. Seeds obovate. 

 Leaves simple, cordate. 



1. C. canadensis, L. Leaves orbicular-cordate, acuminate, villose 

 in the axils of the nerves beneath ; flowers fasciculate ; legumes shortly 

 stipitate. Beck, Bot. p. 94. 

 Canadian Cercis. Vulgo — Red bud. Judas tree. 



A small Tree, 15 to 20 or 30 feet high, with somewhat geniculate branches, and 

 a greyish brown dotted bark. Leaves 3 or 4 inches long, and rather wider than 

 long, cordate, with a short abrupt acumination, entire, smooth, stronsly ?-nerved 



37 



