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* MUCUNA pruriens. 



West-Indian Cow-itch Plant. 



DIADELPHIA DECANDRIA. 



Nat. Ord. Fabace^, or Leguminos^ § Papilionace^. 



MUCUNA, Adans. Calyx campanulatus, bilabiatus, labio infenore tri- 

 fido, laciniis aculis, media productiore, labio superiore latiore integro obtuso. 

 Corollce vexillum assurgcns alis carinaque brevius ; alse oblong® carinae longitu- 

 dine ; carina oblonga erecta acuta. Stamina diadelpha, antheris 5 oblongo-line- 

 aribus, 5 ovatishirsutis. Legumen oblongum, torosum, bivalve, scptis cellulosis. 



Semina subrotunda, hilo lineari circulariter cincta. Herba? aut Frutices 



long^ scandentes. Folia pinnato-trifoUolata. Racemi axillares fructiferi 

 s^pius penduli. Legumina S(Bpius hispida pilis innumeris fragilissimis ctitem 

 faciU penetrantibuSy et ideb urentia. DC. prodr. 1. 405. 



M. pruriens; floribus ternatis racemosis, racemis ni^!^^^,^"^/^'^"!/?""^ 



gioribus, leguminibus urentibus valvulis subcannatis, foholis subtiis hirsutis 

 acutls medio rhomboldeis, lateralibus extus dilatatis. 

 M. pruriens. DC. wrorfr. 2. 405. Macfady.fi. jam. p. 2^^^ 

 Dolichos pruriens. Linn. sp. pL 1020. Jacq. slirp. amer. 201- ^ ^^^. 



The principal part of the stinging substance called Cow- 

 tch in the shops, is probably obtained from this plant, 

 vhich ^rows commonly in many parts of the West Indies m 

 -^asteland, and in neglected cane-fields, along river courses, 

 id upon fences, round which its long twining stems rapidly 



fi: . 



For the specimen which furnished the accompanying 

 drawing, I am indebted to Frederick Perkins, Esq., ot Chip- 

 stead Place, in whose hot-house it produced, in September, 

 1836, an abundance of its long handsome racemes ot purple 

 flowers. 



I find nothing to add to the excellent description given 

 by Jacquin in his Stirpes Americanae. The species is cer- 

 tainly very distinct from the East India M. prunta 



ipecies according to 



Mucuna is tb 



Marcgraaf, 



1838 



H 



