—— 
MR. G. BENTHAM ON THE GENERA SWEETIA AND GLYCINE. 259 
On the Genera Sweetia, Sprengel, and Glycine, Linn., simulta- 
neously published under the name of Leptolobium. By GEORGE 
Bentuam, P.L.S. 
[Read November 3, 1864.] 
Tue late Dr. Vogel, when working up Sello’s Brazilian Ceesal- 
piniee at Berlin in 1836-7, published in the 11th volume of the 
‘Linnea,’ under the name of Leptolobium, a genus which seemed 
to form the connecting link between Papilionacex and Cxsal- 
piniee ; for, among several species which were evidently in- 
separable as to genus, some had curvembryous and others rectem- 
bryous seeds, and there were likewise irregularities in the »stiva- 
tion of the petals. During the same winter, and before Dr. 
Vogel’s paper was published, I was occupied at Vienna with a 
general arrangement of Papilionacex, and described under the 
same name of Leptolobium an Australian genus of Phaseolex, for 
some species which had been erroneously referred to Kennedya, 
and which did not then appear to me to be reducible to any other 
previously described one. My paper was only printed after I 
had left Vienna, and in the meantime Vogel’s appeared. Acknow- 
ledging therefore the right of priority of his Leptolobium, I 
changed the name of mine to Leptocyamus. It now turns out 
that neither of our genera are tenable, although neither he nor I 
could be aware of it in the then state of the materials at our dis- 
posal. Although the two genera to which they must be reduced 
have little else in common than the fortuitous circumstance of 
having been simultaneously described under the same name, I 
trust that that may be sufficient excuse for comprising their his- 
tory in the same paper. 
And first as to Vogel’s genus, That careful observer found 
amongst Sello’s specimens some very indifferent ones of Sprengel’s 
Sweetia fruticosa, which, as afterwards admitted by Sprengel him- 
self, had been erroneously described, and was believed by both 
botanists to be identical with Acosmium lentiscifolium of Schott. 
Vogel accordingly described it under that name in his above-men- 
tioned paper, adverting to its close affinity to Leptolobium, but re- 
taining it as distinct on account of some difference in habit, and the 
calyx shortly toothed only, not lobed, the pod being then unknown. 
Authentic specimens of both Sprengel’s and Schott’s plants now 
show that Acosmium is indeed a congener of Sweetia, but not quite 
identical, the flowers being longer, somewhat differently shaped, 
and the calyx-teeth much deeper, intermediate in this respect be- 
tween Sprengel’s plant and Leptolobium. As the pod moreover 
LINN, PROC.— BOTANY, VOL. VIII. x 
