OBDEE DECANDEIA. 
173 
divided halves, or cotyledons, tlie first true leaves and the 
root. 
252. Order Pent-Octandria^ from five to eiglit stamens. — ^We 
could not expect from the character of the class, " stameni 
united into two sets," to find any plants with but one stamen. 
In this order we find the Corydalis, an elegant plant with 
bulbous roots ; the corolla is rather ringent than papilionace- 
ous. Fumaria is nearly allied to Corydalis by natural charac- 
ters. In some cases the stamens have very broad bases, and 
scarcely seem united, as in the characters of this class. We 
find here Polygala, one species of which is called Seneca 
snake-root ; this not only produces a beautiful flower, but is 
valuable in medicine, have many species of this genus in 
our woods and meadows. 
253. Order Decand.ria^ ten stamens. — ^Tlie tenth Order is 
wholly composed of plants with leguminous pods ; the general 
character of these plants is, a calyx, often five-parted ; corolla 
five-petaled, inserted on the calyx, and consisting of a banner, 
two wings and a keel ; stamens generally ten, mostly united 
into two sets, nine and one ; ovary free ; style one ; legume 
generally two-valved, one-celled, sometimes transversely divid- 
ed into many cells ; seeds affixed to the edge on one side. At 
Fig. 149, a is a papilionaceous flower ; h Fig. 149. 
shows the stamens divested of their petals ; 
c the pistil, the ovary already exhibiting 
the form and appearance of the legume. 
In this large family of plants with legu- 
minous pods, are many genera of great im- 
portance in the vegetable kingdom. The 
form of the corolla and the nature of the 
fruit, with few exceptions, settle the char- 
acter of this class. The large family known 
as the natural order Leguminosse, have been 
divided into three tribes : 1st, Papiliona- 
cese ; with papilionaceous flowers, parts imbricated in aestiva- 
tion, and upper one exterior, as the pea. 2d, Csesalpin^e ; 
flowers irregular, but not papilionaceous : we bring from the 
class Decandria to this tribe the Cassia. 3d, Mimosse ; flowers 
regular, petals valvate in aestivation. 
254. The most savage nations usually cnltivate leguminous 
plants. When Ferdinand de Soto marched his army into 
Florida before the middle of the sixteenth century, he found, 
according to an historian, the granaries of the natives " well 
stored with Indian corn and certain leguminous seeds?^ The 
S552. Order Pent-Octandria — Corydalis — Polygala. — 253. General character of plants of the onlei 
9ecandria — Division of the Leguminoss. — 254. Leguminous plants long known. 
