Tab. 5452. 



DESMODIUM Skinneri, var. albo-lineata. 

 Mr. Skinner s Desmodium, white-lined var. 



Nat. Ord. LeguminosiE. — Diadelphia Decandria. 



Gen. Char. Calyx basi bibracteolatus, ad medium obscure bilabiatus, labio su- 

 periore bifido, inferiore tripartite Corolla papilionacea, vexillo subrotundo, ca- 

 rina obtusa, non truncata, alis carina longioribus. Stamina diadelpha (9 et 1), 

 jilamentis subpersistentibus. Legumen constans articulis plurimis ad maturitatem 

 secedentibus compressis monospermis membranaceis coriaceisve, non aut vix d©- 

 hiscentibus. — Herbae aut suffrutices, plerique cequinoctiales. Folia nunc Z-foliata 

 sen 1-juga cum imparl, nunc simplicia dicta nempe ad impar foliolum reducta ideo 

 unifoliolata. Stipellae 2 ad basim folioli extremi, 1 ad quodque later ale. Kacemi 

 terminates sapius taxi. Pedicelli 1 aut sapius 3, ex bractearum axillis orti, fill- 

 formes, unifiori. Flores purpurei cterulei aut albi, minores quam in Hedysaro. Be 

 Cand. 



Desmodium Skinneri; pubescenti-birsutum, suffruticosum, caule scandente, fo- 

 liis trifoliolatis, foliolis lato-lanceolatis, terrninali longe petiolata, racemis 

 elongatis subpaniculatis axillaribus terminalibusque, floribus intense pur- 

 pureis, vexillo macula alba biloba, calycibus ciliatis, ovario oblongo hirsute 



Desmodium Skinneri. Benth. in Herb. Hook. 



Var. /?. albo-nitens. (Tab. Nostk. 5452.) 



Rhynchosia albo-nitens. Sort. Perschaff. 



A very pretty climber, received at the Royal Gardens of Kew 

 under the name recorded last from Mr. Verschaffelt ; but it 

 appears to correspond with a Guatemala plant named by Mr. 

 Bentham as a Desmodium, and in compliment to its discoverer, 

 of which specimens are preserved in the ITookerian herbarium. 

 If it be truly the Desmodium Skinneri of Mr, Bentham, the 

 young pods are very flat, curved and sickle-shaped, one inch 

 long, three to four lines broad, of one or two joints, one to two- 

 seeded. Trained along the rafters of the stove, the effect of the 

 flowers is \ery pretty. 



Fig. 1. Flower. 2. Calyx and pistil. 3. Yexillum. 4. Alse and carina : — 

 magnified. 



june 1st, 1864. 



