ing in the neutral florets. Stamens 10 or sometimes 5 ; the filaments in the
lower flowers of each spike sterile, sometimes antheriferous, either dilated or
filiform. Legume continuous, dry, coriaceo-membranaceous, compressed,
2-valved, several-seeded.—Diffuse or procumbent unarmed herbs or suf-
frutescent plants. Leaves with stipules, bipinnate, often sensitive. Flowers in
ovate, subglobose, or cylindrical heads or spikes (white, the filaments often
yellow): peduncles axillary.
We are not well satisfied with the distinguishing characters of this and the
nearly allied genera. The section Dichrostachys has already been removed by
Arnott, and the genus perhaps requires still farther reduction. Our D. Jamesii is a
true Desmanthus, with many-flowered heads, the filaments of the lower flowers
sterile, and linear legumes: the leaves are also said to be very sensitive. The succeeding
species of the section Desmanthea have the very few-flowered heads which
seems to be a nearly universal character in that section ; but the flowers are all perfect,
or at most we sometimes find at the base of the heads one or two barren flowers
with perfect stamens. The same thing may be sometimes observed in Darlingtonia
brachyloba, with which these two species agree in habit, foliage, setiform stipules,
and in almost every point except the narrow pods. The genus Darlingtonia should
perhaps be extended to embrace these and some allied species.
§ 1. Sterile filaments flat or somewhat petaloid: legumes oblong, 4-6 -seeded,
often stipitate: aquatic, prostrate.—Neptunia, Lour.
1. D. lacustris (Willd.) : herbaceous, floating ; leaves destitute of glands ;
pinnae 3 pairs; leaflets 20-30, alternate and opposite, linear, obtuse ; heads
ovate, many-flowered ; peduncles 2-3-bracteate ; flowers decandrous ; legumes
somewhat falcate, oblong, stipitate. Kunth.— Willd. spec. 4. p.
1044 ; DC. prodr. 2. p. 444 ; Kunth. syn. 4. p. 10. Mimosa lacustris,
Dumb. <Sj* Bonpl. pi. requin. 1. 16.
Texas, Drummond!—Stem terete, slender, elongated. Stipules scarious,
ovate, acuminate. Leaflets somewhat lanceolate, broader at the base, thin,
about 3-nerved, ciliate. Peduncles long and slender. Spikes loose. Flowers
small, somewhat pedicelled : filaments of the lower ones antheriferous.—
The specimens of Drummond are not in fruit, nor are the flowers in good
state : we cannot doubt, however, that they are identical with the D. lacustris
of New Grenada.
§ 2. Sterile filaments filiform: legumes linear, many-seeded.—Desmanthea,
DC.
2. D. Jamesii : suffrutescent; stem decumbeut, angled ; pinnae 4-5 pairs,
with a large concave gland between the lowest pair ; leaflets 10-13 pairs, a
little hairy oh the margins ; stipules minute, subulate ; peduncles scarcely
longer than the globose many-flowered heads, solitary or in pairs; flowers
(white) decandrous ; the filaments of the neutral ones filiform; legumes
linear, elongated, somewhat arcuate, 15-lS-seeded.—Acacia Cooleyi,
Eaton.
Sources of the Canadian River, Arkansas, Dr. James !—Heads axillary
or somewhat panicled at the summit of the branches. Legumes 3-4 inches
long, not pointed.
3. D. leptolobus: herbaceous; stem ascending, angled; pinn® about 10
pairs, with a small gland at the base of the lowest or two lower pairs; leaflets
about 24 pairs, linear, slightly ciliate ; stipules setiform ; peduncles solitary,
few-flowered, not bracteate, much shorter than the leaves ; flowers pentandrous,
all perfect (always?); legumes usually several from each head, narrowly
linear, subulate-acuminate, slightly falcate, 6-8-seeded, somewhat
intercepted between the seeds, thrice the length of the peduncles; seeds linear-
oblong.
Texas, Drummond ! Arkansas, Dr. Leavenworth ! —Nearly glabrous.
Stems apparently 2-3 feet high. Heads usually ripening 4-6 legumes,
which are 2-3 inches long, and about a line in width. Seeds placed lengthwise
in the pod.
4. D. strictus (Bertol.?) : suffrutescent at the base; stems ascending, somewhat
angled ; leaves short; pinnae 3-4 pairs, with an oval concave gland at
the base of the lowest pair; leaflets 6-8 pairs, linear-oblong, ciliate; stipules
setiform; peduncles solitary, not bracteate, nearly the length of the leaves,
few-flowered ; head subglobose ; flowers nearly all perfect, decandrous ; legumes
linear, straight or somewhat falcate, acuminate, longer than the peduncles,
about 8-seeded ; seeds oval.—DC. prodr. 2. p. 445 ?
Texas, Drummond !—Stems 1-2 feet in length. Leaves small and short.
Legumes 1-14 inch long.—We refer our plant to Desmanthus strictus with
some hesitation : the character we have given differs in some respects from
that of De Candolle, and we have no authentic specimen for comparison.
■ 5. D. depressus (Humb. & Bonpl.): stem suffruticose, prostrate; pinnae 2
pairs ; petiole with a gland at the apex (between the lower pinnae); spikes
few-flowered, capitate; flowers decandrous; legume narrowly linear. DC.—
Willd. spec. 2. p. 1046 ; Kunth, Mim. etc. p. 115, t. 35 ; DC. 1. e. Mimosa
depressa, Pair, suppl. 1. p. 58.
Key West, Mr. Bennett! “ Stem sometimes 4-5 feet in length, reclining
on a Cactus.”—Our specimen is imperfect.
6. D. diffusus (Willd.) : stem suffruticose, prostrate; pinnae 4-5 pairs;
spikes few-flowered, capitate ; flowers pentandrous ; legume narrowly linear.
DC.— Willd. 1. c. : DC. prodr. 2. p. 444. Mimosa Pernambucana, Linn.
M. Americana pigra siliquis longis, &c., PluJc. aim. t: 307,f . 3.
Key West, Mr. Bennett!—Our specimen is in fruit only, but in this state
it accords with the figure of Plukenet. The legumes are 2 inches in length,
not remarkably narrow, slightly acuminate, containing about 20 roundish
seeds. There is a gland between the lowest pair of pinnae.
65. ACACIA. Necker ; Will'd, spec. 4. p. 1049 ; Kunth, Mim. etc. p. 74.
Flowers polygamous (perfect and staminate). Calyx 4-5-toothed. Petals
distinct pr usually united below into a tubular-campanulate or infundibuli-
fbrm 4-5-cleft corolla. Stamens various in number (8-200), distinct or
united at the base, inserted into the base of the corolla or on the stalk of the
ovary. Legume continuous, not jointed, 1-celled, dry, 2-valved, many-
seeded.—Trees or often shrubs, very rarely herbaceous plants, unarmed, or
sometimes prickly ; the stipules often changed into spines ; very various in
foliage and habit. Leaves in the North American species bipinnate, with
numerous leaflets. Flowers mostly yellow or white, in globular heads or
elongated spikes.
* Decandrous.
1. A. lutea (Leavenworth) : herbaceous, unarmed, prostrate, pubescent;
branches elongated, angled ; stipules lanceolate-subulate, deciduous; petioles
destitute of glands ; pinnae 3-5 pairs ; leaflets oblong-linear, obtuse, ciliate,