The peculiar distinction of this family is that
its flowers are butterfly-shaped or its fruit in pods, and it often
possesses both these characters. By one or the other all the plants of
the family are known, and the butterfly-shaped flowers are of a
character not to be mistaken, as they are found in no other family. It
includes herbs, shrubs and trees--an immense and perfectly natural
family, distributed throughout almost every part of the globe. There are
at present in all not less than thirty-seven hundred species. So you see
that the locust tree is certainly rich in relations."
The children thought that it must have some family claim on almost
every plant in the world.
[Illustration: CAROB TREE AND FRUIT.]
"Do you remember that in the story of the Prodigal Son, told by our
Lord, it is said that the bad son became so poor that he wanted to eat
the 'husks' that the swine ate? Those 'husks' were the fruit of a Syrian
member of this family. The tree is the carob tree, of which you have
here a picture--a fine large tree bearing a sweet pod containing the
seeds. I have seen these pods for sale in this country, and foolishly
called St. John's bread, as if the 'locusts' eaten by John the Baptist
were pods of a locust tree, and not insect locusts."
"Yes," said Malcolm, "I have tasted those pods, and they are real sweet;
but I wouldn't care to make a breakfast from them."
"I like calling the flowers 'butterfly-shaped,'" said Clara, "because
that is just what the pea and bean-blossoms look like; though Kitty
calls 'em 'little ladies in hoods.
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