Tas. 7318. 
DOLICHOS, simptictrotivs. 
Native of Tropical Africa. 
Nat. Ord. Lecuminosm.—Tribe PHASEOLE. 
Genus Doticuos, Linn.; (Benth. & Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. i. p. 540.) 
Doticuos simplicifolius ; caudice crasso tuberoso, ramis caulibusve herbaceis 
. erectis simpliciusculis foliosis foliisque utrinque pilosulis, foliis 1-folio- 
latis brevissime petiolulatis, foliolo spithameo oblongo-lanceolato obtuso 
integro tricostato stipulis oblongis obtusis v. subacutis herbaceis, floribus 
axillaribus fasciculatis erectis, pedicellis $-pollicaribus floribus zquilongis 
pilosis, calycis tubo hemispherico, dentibus brevibus ovatis acutis, 2 su- 
perioribus approximatis alterius connatis obtusis, vexillo orbiculari pallide 
roseo, alis oblongis apice rotundatis saturate roseis, carina acinaciformi 
alis subzequilonga apice acuta. 
D. simplicifolius is an aberrant member of a large cos- 
mopolitan tropical and subtropical genus which contains 
about thirty species, many of which are, from the absence — 
of specimens with pods, very ill-defined. The two remark- 
able characters of D. simplicifolius are the unifoliolate 
leaves, those of all hitherto known species being 3-foliolate, 
and the woody tuberous rhizome or caudex, which gives off 
annual herbaceous erect stems. This latter character, 
Common to several tropical African species, is, I suspect, 
to be connected with the conditions under which they exist, 
Supposing these to be grass or bush lands annually or 
frequently devastated by fire ; for the same habit of growth 
1s very frequent in various genera of plants in the regions 
of Upper India skirting the base of the Himalaya, the 
vegetation of which is frequently burnt. 
The tubers of D. simplicifolius were sent to Kew in June, 
1892, by John Buchanan, Ksq., C.M.G., along with various 
other tubers and bulbs collected in the Shiré Highlands 
of tropical S. Africa (lat. about 15°.S., long. 85 E.). Soon 
Octozer Isr, 1893. 
