SENSITIVE PLANT FAMILY 167 



b. Flowers in racemes, 8-12 mm. wide; fruit dark 



purple to black P. demissa 



MIMOSACEAE SENSITIVE PLANT FAMILY 



Sepals 3-6, united, petals 3-6, alike, separate or united, stamens 3-12 

 or many, separate or united, ovary 1 -celled, ovules several to many, fruit a 

 legume ; flowers regular in heads, spikes or racemes ; herbs with alternate, 

 twice-pinnate leaves ; perennial. 



1. Leaflets closing when touched; petals united 



about halfway ; pod spiny Schrankia 



2. Leaflets hardly sensitive to touch ; petals sepa- 



rate; pod smooth Desmanthus 



Desmanthus Willdenow 1806 Sensitive Plant 



(Gr. desmos, band, anthos, flower) 



(Acuan Medicus) 



Sepals 5, united, petals 5, greenish or whitish, separate or nearly so, 

 stamens 5 or 10, pod linear, flat, several-seeded, opening by 2 valves ; 

 flowers in axillary stalked heads ; leaves twice pinnate, with many leaflets ; 

 perennial. 



Stems 1-4 ft. high; pods many in a head, oblong- 

 curved, 1-2 cm. long D. illinoensis 



Schrankia Willdenow 1896 Sensitive Brier 

 (Named for Schrank, a German botanist) 



Sepals 4-5, united, petals 4-5, pink to purple, united about halfway, 

 stamens 8-12, separate or united at the base, pod linear, spiny, several- 

 seeded, opening by 4 valves ; flowers perfect or polygamous in axillary 

 stalked heads or spikes ; leaves twice pinnate, sensitive, of many leaflets ; 

 perennial. 

 Stems spreading, prickly, 2-4 ft. long; flower heads 



10-25 mm. wide ; pods densely spiny, 4-5 cm. long 5. uncindta 



CASSIACEAE SENNA FAMILY 



Sepals 5, separate or united, petals 5, separate, stamens 10 or less, 

 separate or united, ovary 1 -celled, fruit a legume, usually opening by 2 

 valves; flowers somewhat irregular in ours; annual or perennial herbs with 

 solitary or clustered, alternate, simple or pinnate leaves. 



1. Leaves once pinnate, not dotted with glands Cassia 



2. Leaves twice pinnate, usually black-dotted Hoffmanseggia 



