Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 12.djvu/112

* LEGRAND DU SATJLLE. 100 LEGUMINOSiE. midico-Ugale sur Ics epileptiques (1877) ; and Traill- </(■ iiuilccine legale (1880). LEGRENZI, k-gren'z*, Giovanni (c.1G25- 00). An Italian composer, born at Clusonp. near Uer^'amo. After having studied under Pallavi- eino, lie became orsanist at Bergamo, and as maestro di cajipctla to the Duke of Fcrrara, j)ro- duced his first opera. Achillc in Sciro, in lOCi. The next year he went to Venice, wlicre he was elected director of the Conservatory de' Jlendi- canti ( 1072), and in 1U85 became VKicsIro di cap- pi'lta at Saint -Mark's. In the later capacity he c-nhugcd the orcliestra and introduced a number of innovations. lie was one of the first to write trios for two violins and violoncello, and his operas (eighteen in all) are marked by a freer use of niclod.v and a more coherent instrumenta- tion tlian had been common before his time. In addition to liis operas and instrumental compo- sitions, he wrote considerable sacred music. He died in Venice. LEGRIS DE LATTJDE, k-gre' de la'tnd', f'L.MKE Jo.si:i*iiK IlippoLYTE. The correct name of the French actress better known as Mile. Clairon (q.v.). LEGROS, lc-gr6', Alpiionse (18.37—). A Frencli painter. Ijorn at Dijon. He studied under Leeoq de Boisbanilran. and first exhibited a por- trait of his father (18.57). Two years after- wards his "Angelus" was highly praised. In 18G3 he became professor of etching at South Kensington, and in 1876 was appointed Slade professor of fine arts at University College, London, to succeed E. J. Poynter. His genre pictures are usually of French riiral scenes, painted with marked realism; and his portraits, such as those, of Burne-.lones, HiLxlcy, and Browning, are notable. He also became known as an etclier and modeler. LEGROS, Pierre (1050-1719). A French sculptor, born in Paris. He was the .son and pu- pil of Pierre Legros (1020-1714), a well-known .sculptor, born at Chartres, who was professor at the Academy for nuxny years. Young Pierre studied afterwards in Italy. On his return to Paris he executed several statues at the Tuile- ries and at Versailles, but as he was not en- couraged, he went back to Rome, where most of his works are to l)e found. There are large re- ligious groups by him in the Turin Cathedral, and in the Church of Saint .John Lateran, and Saint Peter's in Rome. They show artistic talent, but very little taste. LEGUME, Idg'um or le-gum' (Fr. legume, from l.nt. Irgiiinrii, bean, from legcre, to gather). A dry. delusccnt fruit which consists of one ear- pel. This dehisces (opens) by splitting down both sides, as in the pea, bean, etc. It is character- istic of the LeguminosiB or pea family, and is commonly spoken of simply as a 'pod.' See Fbuit. LEGTJ'MIN (from Lat. legumen, bean). A vegetable pnitcid of the albumin group, found mainly in the seeds of many plants, Including the leguminous plants, such as peas, beans, and len- tils. Its exact nature is not known. Ritthausen found legumin from peas, vetches, lentils, and field beans to contain the elements in the fol- lowing proportions: Carbon, 51.48 per cent.; hydrogen, 7.02 per cent.; nitrogen, 10.77 per cent.; and oxygen, 24.32 per cent. Legumin is in- soluble in water, but soluble in very weak acids and alkalies, and it is not coagulated by heat. It resembles the casein of mammalian milk, with which it was considered identical by Liebig and others, and was therefore called 'vegetable casein.' It contains less carbon and more nitro- gen, however, than true casein. Upon treatment with sulphuric acid, legumin gives leucin, tyrosin, and ghitamie and aspartic acids. It is closely related to congluten, a substance found in the seeds of cereals. LEGXJMINOSJE (Neo-Lat. nom. pi., from Lat. hitiniHii. Iican). A great order of dicotyle- donous plants, the second of flowering plants in number of species, containing herbs, shrubs, and trees, growing in all kinds of soil and climates, usually erect, but sometimes trailing, twining, or climbing, many of them of great size. The leaves are alternate, usually compound, .and have two early deciduous stipules at the base of the leaf- stalk. The infiorescence is conuuonly racemose. The calyx is inferior, 5-parted, toothed or cleft, the segments often unequal. The petals are 5, or by abortion fewer, inserted into the base of tlu> calyx, usually unequal, often papilionaceous. The stamens are typically 10, free or united into a tube, in which case 9 are joined by their fila- ments, the tenth free, otherwise they ,are few or many, distinct or variously united. The ovar.y is I -celled, in some cases 2-celled by a sort of false partition, generally of a single carpel; the style simple, proceeding from the upper margin, the stigma simple. The fruit is usually a pod or legume. The seeds are solitary or numerous, occasionally with an aril, often curved ; the cotyledons large and well supplied with reserve material for the J'oung plant. There are three suborders: (I) Papilionriceig, with papiliona- ceous flowers; (2) Ccesalpineai, with irregular fjowcrs and spreading petals; (.3) Mimoscce, with small regular flowers. This order contains ai)out 450 genera and 7000 species, of which about 5000 Ijclong to the suborder Papilionaccic. They are spread over all parts of the world, from the equator to the limits of vegetation, but their number is greatest in tropical and subtropical regions. They are applied to a great variety of purposes, and some of them are of great impor- tance in domestic economy, the arts, medicine, etc. Many species are interesting on account of their beauty of form, foliage, or flowers. The structure of the flower indicates that the Papilionace.'E at least are designed for insect fertilization, bees being the agents. When a bee lights upon the wings and keel of the flowers, as the side and lower petals are called, the weight thrusts the stigma out of the flower in contact with the pollen-laden body of the bee. When relieved of the weight, the stigma returns to its normal position, and cross-pollination is usually effected. In some cases the returning stigmas may receive pollen from the stamens directly, and thus he close pollenized. In this way the flower has two chances of fertilization. The Leguniinosic are of added interest on account of their ability to assimilate free atmospheric niti'ogen through the small tubercles on their roots. The.se tubercles are the dwelling-places of myriads of peculiar bacteria which enter the roots through root-hairs and set up an irritation resulting in the forma- tion of galls. In these the bacteria multiply