SOUTHERN ASIA AND AFRICA. 591 
habit more different. It would, however, require the exclusion of 
A. marginalis, linarifolia, and nigra, E. Mey., and the addition 
of A. araneosa, with considerable alteration in the character 
assigned. The group would then correspond to my Synpetala, 
remarkable for the adherence of the claws of the wings and keel 
to the staminal tube, a character which appears to have escaped 
Dr. Presl. On the other hand, he relies upon the three-nerved 
divisions of the calyx, which has already been shown to be a falla- 
cious distinction, and in one species, A. marginalis, he has mis- 
taken the reflexed margins of these divisions for lateral nerves. 
He describes also the wings as equal to or longer than the keel, 
whereas in the whole group they are constantly shorter. The 
habit of these Synpetale is, however, so exactly that of many other 
Aspalathi, Xhat«I have not considered them as entitled to rank any 
higher as a group than any of the others. 
Lastly, Heterolathus has a positive and appreciable character, 
the irregular enlargement of the lower division of the calyx. But 
the species are otherwise so closely allied, in every respect, to the 
Cephalanthe, that they can scarcely be considered in any other 
light than as forming an artificial subdivision of that group. 
I now proceed to state, shortly, the principal characters of the 
groups into which it is now proposed to distribute the numerous 
species, forewarning, however, that for brevity’s sake it is neces- 
sary here to state them in a form, rather too absolute, neglecting 
minor anomalies in groups founded on a variety of characters. 
Further details will be found at the head of each group. : 
I. CaPHALANTHUe. Folia terna v. vix fasciculata, plana, cori- 
acea, glabra v. villosa nec sericea. Flores terminales, sessiles v. 
breviter pedicellati. Legumen vulgo oblique ovatum calyce 
brevius, rarius lanceolatum exsertum erectum. 
$1. Calycis lacinia inferior maxima ; flores capitati, sp. 1— 
4. $2. Calycis lacinie subequales ; flores capitati v. 2-3-ni. 
Sp. 5-19: $ 85 Calycis lacinie subaquales 5 > inflorescentia laxior, 
sp. 20-22. 
IL Sericex. Folia inferiora v. omnia fasciculata v. rarius 
terna, plana, sericea v. molliter villosa. Flores sessiles v. breviter 
