568 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM 
ovate, short-acuminate, sparsely puberulent, especially on the margins and the 
veins beneath, in age nearly glabrous, 10 to 18 cm. long; stipules triangular, 
acuminate, ciliate, 3 mm. long, quickly fugacious, but the base of each develop- 
ing into a persistent green protuberance; stipels linear, the minute swollen 
base of each persistent; peduncles exceeding the subtending leaves; thyrses 
5 to 10-flowered ; pedicels very short, a group of swollen nectaries at the base 
of each ; calyx green, sparsely puberulent, 10 to 12 mm. long, 2-lipped, the broad 
upper lip half as long as the tube and emarginate, the lower lip 3-lobed, the 
lobes small, subequal, triangular, acute; corolla pink; standard erect, broadly 
oval, deeply notched at apex, white in the center, the sides recurved, 2 em. 
long, the broad claw 5 mm. long, the auricles oblong, obtuse, inflexed, 1 mm. 
long, the callosities conic; wings shorter than the keel, 22 mm. long, linear- 
oblong, concave, obtuse, the claw 5 mm. long, the auricles ovate, curved; keel 
24 mm. long, incurved, obtuse, the claw 4 mm. long, the auricles ovate, incurved : 
stamens monadelphous; stigma capitate; pods much compressed, curved into 
a semicircle, 6 to 10 cm. long, 2 to 3 cm. broad, wax-yellow when immature, 
brown when ripe, finally white-puberulent, each valve with 3 longitudinal 
ridges, one close to each suture, the third 5 mm. from the ventral ridge; 
seeds oval in outline, compressed, 12 to 18 mm. long, wax-brown, the linear 
black hilum four-fifths as long, about one-fourth the circumference. 
The peculiar pods well distinguish it from any other species as yet described. 
The seed of this plant was sent to the U. S. Department of Agriculture by 
John R. Bovell, Esq., Department of Agriculture, Bridgetown, Barbados, 
under the name “Babricou bean.” In Antigua it has been used as a green 
manure crop. Presumably it is native to the West Indian region. 
13. Canavalia plagiosperma Piper, Bull. Misc. Inf. Kew 1922: 141. 1922. 
Annual; whole herbage sparsely strigillose; stems terete, climbing, one to 
several meters long; petioles as long as the leaflets; leaflets membranaceous, 
obscurely reticulate, broadly ovate, rounded or obtuse at base, acutish, 10 to 
13 cm. long; petiolules puberulent; thyrses about 10-flowered ; calyx green, 
spotted with blackish, strigillose, the upper lip emarginate, the lower lip with 
three broad deltoid acute subequal teeth; corolla purple, the wings as long as 
the blunt keel; pods linear, much compressed, nearly straight, strigillose, 20 
to 25 cm. long, 4 cm. broad, tipped with a ‘recurved beak, the intermediate 
ridge 5 mm. from the sutural one; seeds about 10, ellipsoid, much compressed, 
somewhat shiny, abruptly narrowed at the micropylar end, 27X17X10 mm., 
ochraceous salmon (Ridgway) ; hilum lanceolate, 10 mm. long, wholly on the 
oblique micropylar end of the seed, black, encircled by a narrow brown band. 
Obtained from Dr. P. Boname, Director of Agriculture, Mauritius, the seed 
originally from Cuba, and grown at Biloxi, Mississippi; Miami, Florida; and 
in the greenhouse at Washington, D. C., No. 02053 (type; also from Nicara- 
gua, No. 02735, 
Easily distinguished from any other species by its peculiar seeds. 
14. Canavalia arenicola Piper, sp. nov. 
Stems herbaceous, terete, sparsely strigillose; petioles sparsely strigillose, 
shorter than the leaflets; stipules and stipels not seen; petiolules 5 mm. long, 
pubescent ; leaflets membranaceous, thickish, oblong to elliptic, obtuse or retuse, 
rounded at base, glabrous, 5 to 7 cm. long, half as wide; peduncle terete, 
strigillose, longer than the few-flowered thyrse; bracteoles orbicular; calyx 
campanulate, strongly nerved, sparsely strigillose, 10 mm. long, the broad 
emarginate upper lip shorter than the tube, the lower lip 3 mm. long, with 
triangular teeth ; corolla “ rouge violet,” 2 cm. long; petals subequal in length; 
