337 
ON THE WHITE CLOYER. 
BY MBS. LANKESTEE. 
HERE is, perhaps, no natural order of plants more easily 
distinguished than the Leguminosae, or Pea tribe ; yet for 
the most part people are content to recognize the external 
characteristics of the different plants of this order, leaving 
unstudied the many interesting points of structure which are 
apparent in the humblest and most common representatives 
of the family. With the view of thoroughly examining the 
attributes and peculiarities of the order, so as to render them 
familiar to all who desire to make their acquaintance, we have 
chosen the most easily attainable and most abundantly com- 
mon member of this interesting family as the subject of our 
present paper. Perhaps it cannot be positively asserted that 
the Dutch or White Clover is truly a native of the British Isles ; 
but it is now so long since its introduction, that we may claim 
for it the privilege of naturalization, and safely reckon it 
amongst our British plants. 
The main and universal characteristic of the order 
Leguminosse is, that it consists of plants bearing pods, or 
legumes; and, as the order derives its name from this cir- 
cumstance,- it is important fully to understand the term ; it 
is, in fact, a superior (that is, above the calyx of the flower) 
one-celled, one or many seeded fruit, opening on the upper 
side of the pod so as to form two valves. The seeds are 
fastened to one side only of the case alternately to each valve, 
by short pedicels or stalks. A pea-pod forms a very perfect 
example of what a legume really is, but the forms and varieties 
this organ may assume are numerous. It may be twisted like 
a screw, as in the Lucerne ; coiled round like a caterpillar, as in 
Scorpiurus sulcata ; curled like a snail, as in Medicago ; or curved 
like a worm, as in some species of Acacia ; still it is a legume, 
and preserves its resemblance to the pea-pod, in opening in the 
same manner if a little pressure be applied to the top, as in the 
process of shelling peas. The varying size of the legume is 
also another point worthy of notice. It is very minute in many 
of the British species of the order, as in the small clover, whilst 
in some tropical forms of Cassia it attains a length of two or 
three feet. It is worthy of remark, however, that it is always 
constructed on the same plan. 
Then comes the singular arrangement of the petals, which, in 
the first subdivision of the order, Papilionacece, has been fan- 
