ON THE AFRICAN SPECIES OF CROTALARIA. 241 
The African Species of Crotalaria. By Epmunp G. Baker, F.L.S. 
(By permission of the Trustees of the British Museum.) 
(PLATES 9-14.) 
(Read 19th June, 1913. ] 
HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. 
THE genus Crotalaria, the name of which is derived from wporaXov, a 
castanet, appears in Linnzus's ‘Genera Plantarum,’ ed. 1. p. 218 (1737), 
but is there quoted as coming from Dillenius (Hort. Elth. 1732). The 
latter author figures two species, Crotalaria perfoliata folio, t. 102. fig. 122, 
and Crotalaria lotifolio flore parvo variegato, t. 102. fig. 121; the latter of 
these is a true Crotalaria, as the genus is now understood, but the former 
is generally considered to belong to the genus Baptisia and is B. perfoliata, 
R. Br., in Aiton, ‘Hortus Kewensis, ed. rr. iii. p. 9 (1811). Linneeus in 
‘Species Plantarum’ ed. 1. pp. 714-716 (1753) has 13 species in Crotalaria, 
but before this date we find figures of plants belonging to this genus in the 
works of various botanists. 
Hermann in 1687 (Hort. Acad. Lugd.-Bat.) figures four — Crotalaria 
asiatica frutescens trifolia floribus luteis. amplis (p. 197) 2 C. laburnifolia, 
Linn.; Crotalaria asiatica. folio singulari verrucoso floribus ecruleis (p. 199) 
= C. verrucosa, Linn. ; Crotalaria asiatica, folio singulari. eordiformi, floribus 
luteis (p. 201) C. retusa, Linn.; and an American species, Crotalaria hirsuta 
minor americana sagittata (p. 203). 
Rheede, in his * Hortus Malabaricus,’ ix. (1689), figures on t. 25 a plant 
he ealls Tandale-Cotti, on t. 27 another, Nella-tandale-Cotti, and on t. 28 
one, Wellia-tandale-Cotti ; these three being now known as C. retusa, Linn., 
C. laburnifolia, Linn., and C. quinquefolia, Linn. 
Plukenet, in his ‘Almagestum,’ p. 122, t. 169. fig. 5 (1696), has a 
Crotalaria benghalensis foliis geniste subhirsutis, which is now known as 
C. juncea, Linn., whilst Sir Hans Sloane, in his * History of Jamaica,’ ii. 
t. 176. figs. 1, 2 (1725), depicts Crotalaria trifolia fruticosa, foliis glabris, 
flore luteo viridi minore, which is now known as C. lotifolia (latifolia 
sphalm.), Linn., and of which there is a specimen in the Sloane Herbarium 
at South Kensington, vol. vi. p. 5. 
In 1737 J. Burman figured in his ‘Thesaurus Zeylanicus,’ tab. 24, 
Crotalaria foliis solitariis ovato-acutis, caule suleato, which is C. verrucosa, 
Linn. In 1760 Linneus published his ‘ Plantae Africans: Rariores,’ where 
he has three species of Crotalaria, but they are not now retained in this 
genus ; and the same may be said of the four species described by Bergius, 
in 1767, in his * Descriptiones Plantarum ex Capite Bonz Spei. 
LINN. JOURN.—BOTANY, VOL. XLII, R 
