Carpopogon, DIADELPHIA DECANDRIA. 285 
Stem herbaceous, twining, branchy, running to an extent 
of ten or twelve feet, if supported; young shoots slightly 
downy. Leaves ternate. Leaflets equal in size, the exterior 
ones ovate, about three inches long, and two broad, the late- 
ral ones obliquely cordate, all are entire and obtuse, above 
smooth, a little downy underneath, Stipules of the petioles 
broad-lanceolate, of the leaflets subulate. Peduncles axill- 
ary, short, many-flowered. Bractes, flowers, stamens, and 
pistil as in C. pruriens, Legumes cylindric, depending, a 
little curved, about as thick as the fore finger, or thumb, and 
about six inches long, covered with soft, velvet-like down, 
when ripe wrinkled longitudinally. Seeds five or six, of the 
size of a small garden bean, smooth, shining, black. 
The young pods like those of Dolichos lignosus and lab- 
lab are used by the natives in their curries, after rabbing off 
the down that covers them. 
4. C, niveum. Roxb. 
Annual, twining. Racemes pendulous, Legumes from six 
to eight-seeded, while young downy ; when old destitute of 
down, and wrinkled. 
_ Beng. Khamach. 
Like Carpopogon capitatum, I have only found this in a 
cultivated state and even then very uncommon, haying seen 
it but in one or two gardens near Calcutta ; however, if it is 
not indigenous in Bengal, it must have been long known to 
the natives, not only on account of their having a vernacular 
name for it, but because it is eaten by them, as a Hindoo re- 
quires a long and intimate acquaintance with any article be- 
fore he makes it a part of his diet. Potatoes they must have 
_ known fifty years or more, before they began to admit them 
at their tables. 
Be that as it may, the pleats is cultivated during the cold 
season, when it blossoms and produces fruit im great abun- 
dance. 
Root ramous, generally annual, though in some wii it lasts 
