272 A Report on New and Rare Plants, fyc. 



present year. It is a very dense leafy bush, about two feet 

 high, with ovate shining evergreen leaves, which cover over 

 the flowers. The latter are small, white, slightly tinged 

 with pink, and hang down on the under side of the branches. 

 It is a hardy green-house plant. A figure of it may be found 

 in the Appendix to Abel's Voyage to China. 



XV. Mimosa polydactyla. Willdenow. 

 This curious species of sensitive plant was raised from 

 seeds sent to the Society from Maranham, by Mr. George 

 Don, in 1823. It is scarcely more than biennial, rising with 

 hirsute stems to the height of a foot, or foot and half. The 

 stems are furnished, besides the hairs, which are deciduous, 

 with very stout unequal scattered compressed falcate aculei. 

 The leaves appear to be digitate, consisting each of four pair 

 of pinnae, covered with an indefinite number of highly irrita- 

 ble linear leaflets, each ciliate with a few very fine bristles. 

 The heads of flowers are terminal or axillary, usually solitary, 

 reddish-purple, seated on footstalks densely covered with 

 erect stiff hairs. The pods are short and hispid, separating 

 into about four articulations. This plant may be raised with 

 facility from seeds, which it produces in abundance, but it 

 has not been propagated in any other manner. Like all 

 sensitive plants, it requires, in order to acquire its highest 

 degree of irritability, to be cultivated under the influence of 

 a strong light, in a highly heated atmosphere, charged 

 almost to saturation with humidity. The species in its native 

 country is much more vigorous and beautiful than under 

 artificial management in a garden. 



