130 



LEGUMINOSiE. 



LEGUMINOS/E. 



Character of the Order. — Herbs, shrubs, or trees, with alternate, stipu- 

 late, generally compound leaves. Flowers papilionaceous, sometimes regu- 

 lar ; calyx 5-parted, the odd segment inferior ; petals 5, the odd one supe- 

 rior ; stamens 10, rarely 5 or indefinite, monadelphous or diadelphous, 

 sometimes distinct, commonly perigynous ; ovary simple, 1-celled, 1- to 

 many-ovuled. Fruit a 1- to many-seeded legume. 



A very large order of plants, occurring in all parts of the globe, but most 

 abundantly in the tropics. It has been divided into three sub-orders, 

 namely, Papilionacece, Coesalpiniece, and Mimoseoe. To the first-named sub- 

 order belong nearly all important leguminous plants of temperate regions, 

 and, with the single exception of Cassia — belonging to the sub-order 

 Ccesalpiniece — all North American species of medicinal importance. 



PAPILKMACE^. 



Character of the Sub-Order. — Flowers papilionaceous ; sepals 5, more or 

 less united, often unequally so ; petals 5, irregular, imbricate, the upper 

 one larger than the others and usually enclosing them in the bud ; stamens 



10, rarely 5, inserted with the petals, mona- 

 delphous, diadelphous, or sometimes dis- 

 tinct ; when diadelphous, usually with nine 

 in one set and one in the other. Ovary nor- 

 mally 1-celled, sometimes becoming 2-celled, 

 or transversely many-celled by development 

 of partitions after flowering. Flowers per- 

 fect, solitary and axillary, or in spikes, ra- 

 cemes, or panicles. 



MELILOTUS. — Melilot. 



Character of the Genus.— Calyx 5-toothed. 

 Corolla : petals free from the stamen- tube, 

 deciduous, the keel blunt. Stamens dia- 

 delphous, the upper one free. Pods short, 

 straight, thick, 1- or few- seeded, indehiscent. 

 Annual or biennial herbs, with trifoliate 

 leaves, and flowers in spiked racemes. 



Melilotus officinalis Willdenow. — 

 Yellow Melilot. 



Description. — Flowers numerous, 2 to 3 

 lines long, bright yellow, in long axillary ra- 

 cemes. Pod oval, 2. lines long, obtuse or pointed. 



An erect annual or biennial, 2 to 4 feet high, branched, glabrous. Leaves 



Pig. 120.— Melilotus officinalis. 



