ÆSCHYNOMENE, BASTARD SENSITIVE-PLANT: A genus of the decandria order, belonging to the diadelphia class of plants; the characters of which are: The calyx is a one-leaved campanulated bilabiated perianthium; the lips equal, but the superior one two-cleft, the inferior tridentate. The corolla is papilionaceous; the banner cordated and subingent; the alae ovate, obtuse, and shorter than the banner; and the carina lunated, pointed, and the length of the alae. The stamina consist of 10 simple 9-cleft filaments; the anther small. The pistillum is an oblong villous columnar germin; the stylus subulate and ascending, the stigma simple and somewhat obtuse. The pericarpium is a long compressed, milocular jointed pod. The seeds are kidney-shaped, and solitary within each joint. Of this genus they are reckoned six.
Species. 1. The aspera (as well as the rest of this genus) is a native of warm countries. It rises to the height of four or five feet, having a single herbaceous stalk, which is rough in some parts. The leaves come out on every side towards the top, forming a sort of head; the flowers come out between the leaves, two or three together upon long footstalks; they are yellow, and shaped like those of peas: after the flower is past, the germin becomes a flat jointed pod, which, when ripe, parts at the joints, and in each division is lodged a single kidney-shaped seed. 2. The Americana, seldom rises more than two feet in height. The flowers come out from the leaves on branching footstalks, five or six together; these are much less than the former, and of a paler yellow colour. The seed is lodged in pods like the other. 3. The arborea, grows to the height of six or seven feet, with a single stem; the flowers come out two or three together, of a copper colour, and as large as those of the aspera. 4. The seban hath woody stems, and branches garnished with smooth leaves. The flowers are small, of a deep yellow colour, and come out on long spikes hanging downward. The seed is contained in a smooth pod not jointed. 5. The pumila, rises to the height of about three feet; has flowers of a pale yellow colour, which come out sometimes single, at other times two or three upon each footstalk. The seeds are contained in a long falcated pod having 13 or 14 divisions, each of which lodges a single seed. 6. The grandiflora, rises six or eight feet high, with a woody stem, sending out branches towards the top, garnished with obtuse leaves. The flowers are large, yellow, and
succeeded by large pods containing kidney-shaped seeds. Æsculapius.
Culture. These plants are propagated by seeds, which should be sown early in the spring, on a hot-bed; and when the plants have strength enough to be removed, they should each be put into a separate pot filled with light earth, and plunged into a hot-bed. As they increase in size, they must be removed into larger pots; but if these are too large, the plants will not thrive. They must be brought forward early in the year, otherwise the second kind will not perfect its seed.