M. COKREA DE MELLO ON SOME BRAZILIAN PLANTS, 253 



Notes on some Brazilian Plants from the pDiglibourliood of 

 Campinas. By Joaquim Corkea de Mi^.LO. (Translated 

 and communicated by G. Bextham, Esq.) 



[Read November 4, I860.] 



Campinas, January 28, 1869. 



It is now some time since I received your letter of the 8th of 

 December 1867, which I delayed replying to because I wished 

 first to make some experiments and observations. It shall be 

 my care to do all in my power towards satisfying your desires. I 

 have commenced making collections of plants of the different 

 Orders mentioned in your letter ; but these collections are as 

 yet, for the most part, incomplete, my attention having been 

 hitherto directed in preference to the Order of Bignoniacege. 



The Order of Leguminosas is here a most extensive one, re- 

 presented by very many genera and innumerable species, from 

 small herbs to the tallest trees to be met with in the woods and 

 campos more or less in proximity to this town. I have com- 

 menced a collection of them for you ; but as yet it is only com- 

 plete for a few species. Amongst the complete ones, some ap- 

 pear to me to be interesting, such as : — a Schtzolobium, Yog. 

 {Cassia parahyha^ Veil. Fl. Flum. 168. ic. iv. t. 71) ; a Dimor- 

 pTiandra, Schott (Cassia Jluminensis , Veil. Lc. 168. ic. iv. t. 72), 

 the pods of which are erect, not pendulous, as represented in the 

 plate quoted (I think that the fact of their being thus repre- 

 sented was owing to a liberty taken by the artist in order to get 

 the fruit within his plate) ; an Enterolohium {Mimosa contorti- 

 siliqua^ Veil. I. c. ic. xi. t. 25) ; of the Andira humilis, Mart., 

 which is almost stemless, and is very common in the neighbour- 

 hood o^ this town and of that of Mogi-mirin, I have some fruits 



preserved in spirit, &c. 



Of the genus Arachis I have the A. lypogea, Linn., which is 

 cultivated here on a small scale for its seeds, which are eaten raw 

 or roasted, or for the oil, which is used for burning. In order to 

 observe whether this plant might not produce aerial as well as 

 subterranean pods, I last year sowed some seeds of it, as well as 

 of the Voandzeia subterranea, Tliou., imported here from the African 

 coast, which is cultivated in some fazendas here by the negroes 

 for the seeds, wliich are eaten boiled ; and I contrived to prevent 



LINN. PROC. — BOTANT, VOL. IT. 



