[Schrankia Willd. Sp. Pl. 4: 1041. 1806. Not Medic. 1792.]

[Leptoglottis DC. Mem. Leg. 451. 1823?]

Perennial herbs, or shrubs, mainly prostrate or procumbent, armed with recurved prickles. Leaves bipinnate, usually sensitive; leaflets numerous, small; stipules setaceous. Flowers regular, small, 4-5-parted, pink or purple, perfect or polygamous, in axillary peduncled heads or spikes. Petals united to the middle. Stamens usually 8-12, distinct or united at the base; anthers all alike. Ovary nearly sessile; ovules ∞. Pod linear, acute or acuminate, spiny all over, at length 4-valved, several seeded. [Named in honor of the late Rev. Thos. Morong, a contributor to the first edition of this work.]

About 10 species, natives of temperate and tropical America, 1 in tropical Africa. Type species: Schrankia aculeata Willd.

Leaflets elliptic, strongly veined.

1.

M. uncinata.

Leaflets linear-oblong, scarcely veined.

2.

M. microphylla.

5 Morongia Britton Mem Torr Club 5 191 1894 776

1. Morongia Uncināta (Willd.) Britton. Sensitive-Brier

Fig. 2434

Schrankia uncinata Willd. Sp. Pl. 4: 1043. 1806. M. uncinata Britton, Mem. Torr. Club 5: 191. 1894.

Herbaceous, perennial, branched, decumbent, 2°-4° long. Stem, branches, petioles and peduncles thickly armed with hooked prickles 1/2"-1" long; stem grooved and angled; leaves petioied; pinnae 4-8 pairs, distant; leaflets 8-15 pairs, obliquely elliptic, thick, obtusish and mucronate at the apex, inequillateral and rounded at the base, slightly ciliate on the margins, strongly marked with few elevated veins beneath, 2"-4" long; heads globose, very dense, 8"-12" m diameter; flowers pink; pods terete, very densely spiny, about 2' long.

In dry soil, Virginia to Illinois and South Dakota, Nebraska, Florida and Texas. May-July. Shame-vine. Sensitive-rose.

1 Morongia Uncin Ta Willd Britton Sensitive Brier 777

2. Morongia Microphylla (Dryand) Britton. Narrow-Leaved Sensitive-Brier

Fig. 2435

Mimosa Intsia Walt. Fl. Car. 252. 1788. Not L. 1753.

Mimosa microphylla Dryand.; J. E. Smith, Georgia Insects, 2: 123. pl. 62. 1797.

Schrankia angustata T. & G. Fl. N. A. 1: 400. 1840.

Morongia angustata Britton, Mem. Torr. Club 5: 191. 1894.

Similar to the preceding species Pinnae 3-6 pairs; leaflets numerous, linear-oblong, thin, acutish or obtuse, not mucronate or but very slightly so, very obscurely veined, not at all reticulated, 1 1/2" - 3" long; peduncles shorter than the leaves; heads densely flowered, 5"-8" in diameter; flowers pink; pods linear, sparingly or densely spiny, 2-5' long.

In dry soil, Virginia to Florida, west to Tennessee and Texas. Sensitive plant. June-Aug.