Mezoneurum.| XLVII. § CHSALPINIEEH (OLIVER). 261 
exalbuminous, with a thick testa—Climbing shrubs or trees, usually 
prickly. Leaves ample, bipinnate. Flowers in terminal or axillary 
solitary or panicled racemes. Bracts subulate, early caducous. 
Confined to warm regions of the Old World. The following species appear to be 
endemic, though M. Benthamianum and M. angolense are perhaps too nearly allied to 
MM. enneaphyllum (W. et A.), and one or two other Indian species. 
Legume 24-34 in., wing thin. 
Pinne 5-6 pairs, leaflets 10-12 toeach . . . . . . 1. M. Benthamianum. 
Pinnz 8-10 pairs, leaflets 12-18 toeach . . . . . . 2. ML. angolense. 
Legume 1-1} in., ventral suture thickened coriaceous. Pinne 
15-20, mulinfoliolate <.2 -:.. 3 . . 3) 23. 23.0: 3: Mi Welusteansanun. 
1, M. Benthamianun, Buill. in Adans. vi. 196. A climbing glabrous 
shrub or extremities puberulous or hoary, more or less armed with short 
recurved prickles which occur also on the rachis of the leaves and some- 
times of the inflorescence. Leaves 1 ft. long or more; pinn in about 
5 pairs, 8-5 in. long; leaflets about 10-12 to each pinna, alternate or 
subopposite, obovate-elliptical, obtuse, entire or faintly retuse, scarcely 
oblique at base, glabrous, venation not prominent; ?—11 in. long, 6-9 
lines broad, on petiolules of 1 line or less. Racemes stout, dense, 
many-ftlowered, erect, simple or branched below, hoary or puberulous. 
Pedicels spreading or at length reflexed, } in. long or less. Filaments 
pilose below. Ovary shortly tomentose, narrowed into the nearly gla- 
brous curved style; stigma dilated, obliquely concave, papillose round 
the margin; ovules 4-5. Legumes oval-oblong, obtuse, very flat, 
glabrate, obscurely reticulate-venose, 24-3} in. long, 1-1} in. broad ; 
wing of upper suture } in. broad. 
Upper Guinea. Senegambia, Heudelot! Sierra Leone (fruit only), Oldfield! 
2. M. angolense, Welw. Agreeing with M. Benthamianum in gene- 
ral characters. Pinne in 8-10 pairs ; leaflets smaller, obovate-elliptical 
rounded or retuse above, usually 12-18 to each pinna. Racemes less 
hoary and perhaps not so dense as in M. Benthamianum. Legume the 
same. 
Lower Guinea. Golungo Alto and Pungo Andongo, Angola, Dr. Welwitsch! 
This plant could not fairly be united with J/. Benthamianum, to which it is very 
nearly related, without a further consolidation of Indian species, for which our material 
hardly suffices. 
3. M. Welwitschianum, Oliv. Climbing shrub, extremities rather 
stout, gradually tapering, aculeate, tawny-pubescent. Leaves 9-18 in. 
ong, rachis pubescent or shortly tomentose; pinne in 15-20 pairs, 
14-3 in. long; leaflets opposite or nearly so, 15—22-jugate, oblong, 
obtuse, subsessile, sparsely or shortly adpressed-pubescent at least 
beneath, the under surface at length much paler; usually }-§ in. 
long, 1 line broad. Racemes terminal or axillary, many-flowered, simple 
or branched at the base, pubescent or at length glabrate, }—-14 ft. long. 
Pedicels sparsely pubescent at first, $-1} in. Buds very oblique at 
base. Anterior hooded calyx-lobe deep red within. Petals yellow, 
scarlet towards the claw, posterior with plicate margins on the inner 
