have pods and pinnate leaves. Six thousand five hundred species of this Order have been described by botanists, varying from small herbaceous plants, like our Vetches, to trees like the Laburnums and Robinias of our shrubberies, or those immense Locust-trees, whose trunks are so large that fifteen Indians with outstretched arms cannot encompass one of them. Many are highly ornamental to our gardens; such are the Sweet-peas, Lupins, Milk-vetches, the Coronillas, and a variety of flowers; and the descriptions given by travellers of the forests of other lands have made us familiar with such plants as the magnificent Coral-trees, whose crimson flowers climb to the top of the highest trees; with the Bauhinias, whose snake-like stems are festooned with richest blossoms; and with the airy foliage and golden bloom of the Mimosas, which cast a charm over many a barren spot. But our own landscape owes much of its summer beauty to leguminous plants. The golden broom and prickly gorse, the tangling vetches, the ruddy clover, the crimson saintfoin, and the yellow lotus, contribute, with many more, to the grace and loveliness of our rural scenery. The field of beans sends its fragrance from afar, and those of tare and lucerne wave before the summer gale, yielding their foliage to the cattle, and giving seeds to the wild birds.

Very valuable products of commerce are furnished by the Leguminous tribe. The Indigo, (Indigofera tinctoria,) is grown largely, both in the East and West Indies, for the use of the dyer. The Liquorice, (Glycyrrhiza,) is much cultivated in Spain, whence we derive our largest quantity. It has also been grown in the

neighbourhood of London, and was formerly cultured at Pontefract, in Yorkshire. Stow mentions that the planting and growth of "Licorish," began about the first year of Elizabeth's reign. One hundred weight of the root will afford twenty-eight pounds of the extract commonly called Spanish liquorice, which is used in lozenges and pectoral medicines, as well as by the brewers of porter. The celebrated fish-wood, (Piscidia erythrina,) used for the purpose of intoxicating fish, is a plant of this Order. The fishermen take a quantity of this plant in baskets, which they hold over the sides of the boats till the water washes it out, and is impregnated with its intoxicating properties. In a short time the smaller fish are seen floating about around the boat apparently dead; and the larger fish, somewhat better able to resist its influence, swim wildly about, raising their heads above the poisonous atmosphere, and are then easily taken by the hand. This Piscidia is one of the best timber-trees of Jamaica.

The peas, beans, scarlet runners, and other plants which supply our tables, need hardly be named as leguminous plants; their pods at once declare it. Some foreign leguminous plants have their pods somewhat in the shape of a drupe; others retain the pod, but have not the papilionaceous flowers. Not so

with our native species; they have all the butterflyshaped blossoms, and, except that their pods are occasionally, as in the Bird's-foot, jointed, or as in the Medick, spirally twisted, there is little variation in their characteristic features. They are mostly herbaceous, the Broom and Furze being the only British leguminous

plants which are shrubby. The Order is divided into several groups.

GROUP I. LOTEA.-THE LOTUS GROUP.

Legume not jointed; leaves simple, of 3 leaflets, or pinnate, with an odd leaflet.

*Leaves simple, or of 3 leaflets; stamens all united by their filaments.

1. ULEX (Furze).-Calyx of 2 sepals, with 2 minute bracts at the base; legume swollen, few-seeded, scarcely longer than the calyx. Name from the Celtic ec or ac, a sharp point.

2. GENÍSTA (Green-weed).-Calyx 2-lipped, the upper lip 2-cleft, the lower with 3 teeth; standard oblong; style awl-shaped; legume swollen, or flat. Name from the Celtic gen, a shrub.

3. SAROTHAMNUS (Broom).-Calyx 2-lipped, the upper lip with 2, the lower with 3 teeth; standard broadly ovate; style thickened upwards; legume flat, many-seeded. Name, from saroo, to sweep, and gamnos, a shrub.

4. ONÓNIS (Rest-harrow).-Calyx 5-cleft, with very narrow segments; keel beaked; style thread-like; legume swollen, few-seeded. Name from the Greek onos, an ass, because eaten by that animal.

* Leaves of 3 leaflets; stamens in 2 sets of 9 and 1.

5. MEDICAGO (Medick). - Legume sickle-shaped, or spirally twisted. Name of Greek origin, signifying that some species was brought from Media.