■ -" r 



220 CONTKIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL IIKEBARIUM, 



spiral; upper staiiKni free, often append iculate or incras^ate near the base; anllierti nni- 

 form; ovary Rubsessile^ multiovnlat.o; stylo thickened upwards, (uLlier bearded longi- 

 tudinally on the inner side or hairy all around, at least around the atignia, which is 

 small and terminal; pod linear or l)r()atlly oblong, compressed, straight or curved, tliu 

 sutures incrasisated, the valves nearly flat or slightly cvnivex; seeds thick, compressed. 

 Twining, trailing, or erect shrubs or undershrubs; leaves pinnat(- leaflets 3, stipulate; 

 stipules usually small; flower.^ violet, flesh-colored, yellowish or whitish, sometimes 

 solitary or fascicled, sometimes in racemt^s; brac^ts and bracteoles striate, usually small. 



1. Dolichos lablab L. 



(Urban, 'M2, an LaUah vulgaris Savi.) 



A wide-climbing perennial with au])glabrous stem; leaflets membranous, central 

 one ovate-JuItuid, 7.5 to 10 cm. long, l^roadly spatulatcly narrowed at the base; flowers 

 in racemes, 7.5 to 15 cm. long; calyx 3-3 to 6.5 mm. long, siibglabruus; corolla 1.5 to 1.9 

 cm. deep, reddish or pale, keel abruptly incurved; style flattened upwards, not 

 twisted, narrowed at the base; pod 3.5 to 5 cm. long, 2 cm. broa<l, narrowed at the base, 

 the upper suture nr-arly straight, the faces glabrescent, rarely pc^rsistently pubesc(>nt; 



seeds 2 to 4. 



There occur al.^o three varieties, one with white flowers, variety alhijlorus DC, the 



second with purple flowers, variety purpurms DC, and the third with rose-colorod 

 flowers. 



Cultivated and seemingly wild at Bayam<m in gardens; near(;agnas; nearMayaguoz; 

 cultivated near Rincon and also near A^'.ia.lilla, at P:spinal.- Bahama (Hitchcock), 

 Cuba (Grisebach), Jamaica, St. Croix, St. Harlholomew (Euphrasen), St. Kitts (Grise- 

 bach), Antigua (do.), Guadeloupi^, Marliniquo, St. Vincent, Bequia (Kew Bull. no. 

 81, p. 247). In the tropics of both luimispheres. Native country probably tropical 

 Africa (Bentham). 



This plant is universally cultivated in tlu> tropics, where tlie young pods and Lhe 

 black or brown seeds are used as a vegctal)lo. 



Local names, friioles cahnllrms rMrhnros i-irem 



r 

 ft 



