H 
16 MR. б. BENTHAM’S SYNOPSIS OF DALBERGIES, 
are, I believe, all erect trees, not climbers, the leaves alternate, and 
the leaflets also usually alternate, although sometimes in Centro- 
lobium less decidedly so than in the three other genera. 
Of the four genera, Fipuana is the nearest to Macherium, of 
which I had formerly considered it to be a section, owing to the 
apparent similarity of the pod, but the inflorescence and flowers 
are certainly nearer to those of Pterocarpus ; the pod occasionally 
ripens two or three seeds, and the differences in its shape, pointed 
out by Allemaó, are more structural, and consequently important, 
than they would at first appear. The venation of the wing espe- 
cially shows that it should be rather considered ав a lateral appen- 
dage to the style, than as an attenuation of the pod itself. This 
distinetion may be well traced in the young ovary shortly after the 
flowering is over. 
Platypodium closely resembles Tipuana in foliage, inflorescence, 
and flowers, but the pod is quite distinct in structure; the wing 
“proceeds from the stipes, not from the base of the style. When 
detached it has much apparent resemblance to that of Tipuana in 
shape, but it is as it were reversed, being attached by the end of 
the wing, not by the seed-bearing end. The difference may be 
very early traced in the growing ovarium, besides that, in the only 
two known species, the lowest as well as the uppermost stamen is 
free in Platypodium, whilst in Tipuana all are united, or only the 
upper one free. 
Centrolobium has a peculiar coarse habit, and the calyx is dif- 
ferent from that of any of the adjoining genera. The pod is very 
large, resembling those of Macherium and Tipuana in shape, the 
wing proceeding from the apex, but the remains of the style, 
instead of being at the summit of the wing, form a lateral spur at 
its base. The seed-bearing part is also, in the few known species, 
thickly covered with long straight prickles. 
Pterocarpus, the principal genus of the group, has the charac- 
teristic calyx and flowers above mentioned, but, in the fruit, instead 
of the oblong wing either above or below the seed-bearing portion, 
the pod is more or less attenuated at the edges all round it. In 
general shape it is usually nearly as broad as long, more or less 
‚ irregularly orbicular or oval; the veins marking the course of the 
style often much curved above the seed, so that the remains of the 
free part of the style often appear very low down the inner edge 
of the pod. In the typical East Indian species the seed-bearing 
centre is more or less thickened, woody, or slightly corky, and the 
broad edges all round are very thin, with a very lateral style. In 
