FABACEiE. 



173 



ACACIA. 



Gen. Char. (Polygamia Monoecia.) In those flowers which have 

 both stamens and pistils, the calyx is five-toothed ; corolla five- 

 parted,; stamens from four to one hundred ; pod two-valved ; 

 the barren flower is the same, but yields no pod. 



A Greek name, said to be derived from a word signifying 

 sharp, as some of the species have thorns. This very or- 

 namental genus is well known to all lovers of plants, and 

 is especially adapted to the greenhouse from the elegant 

 light foliage and varied appearance of the species ; they are 

 also of easy culture. There are above two hundred species 

 introduced, most of which are suitable to the greenhouse ; 

 a few only, requiring the heat of the stove. It would be 

 useless enumerating the names of all these plants ; a few of 

 those usually introduced are as follows, which comprise 

 some of those species procurable at Henderson's Nursery 

 Grounds, London. A. affinis, argyrojphylla, armata, celas- 

 trifolia, coccinea, cor data, dealbata, densi flora, dentifera, dif- 

 fusa, dolabriformis, Drummondii, glaucescens, grandis, lanu- 

 ginosa, longifolia, lophantha, Mirhelii, ornithojphora, ovata, 

 pulchella, rotundifolia, squamata, vestita, etc. 



Sandy loam and peat is the soil they generally prefer, 

 and they are easily increased by cuttings. They do not re- 



