ELEMENTARY BOTANY OF THE BOMBAY PRESIDENCY. 275 



belongs to the Papilionacece. There are only 7 genera of the 

 sub-order represented in W. India. 



1, Entada. Woody climbers with tendrils ; flowers in spikes ; 

 calyx minute ; stamens 10 ; pod joined outwardly. 



E. scandens. An immense climber, the main stem often with a 

 spiral wing ; spikes about 6 inches long, white, becoming yellow ; 

 pod a yard long ; flowers hard and woody, reddish brown. Garbi, 

 Gardal, Khairi. The Ghauts and Konkan hills. The immense pods 

 of this must be known to many who have never handled either the 

 flowers or the leaves, for these often grow so high above the ground 

 as to be quite inaccessible. 



2. Mimosa. Leaves sensitive ; flowers in dense round heads, 

 stamens 8 or 10 ; pod flat-jointed. 



M. hamata, A thorny shrub ; heads of flowers pink, long-stalked; 

 pod curved, with a border on each edge and large hooked prickles. 

 Arhar. Pretty common in the Deccan and Guzerat. 



M. rubricaulis. Very like this, but the flowers reddish, becoming 

 white, and the pod longer and thinner ; is attributed by D. and 

 Graham to Malabar Hill, and by H. called common through India. 

 I have seen it only in the E. Deccan. 



3. Acacia. Prickly shrubs or trees, with yellow or white flowers, 

 in round heads or cylindrical spikes; stamens indefinite, free, much 

 exserted. 



Note. — Most or all of the species have glands on the petiole or 

 between the pinnae or both, and the leaflets are small. 



(1) A. arabica. Thorns straight, white ; flowers in round heads, 

 yellow, fragrant. This is the well-known babul tree, and, like most 

 of the genus, is an inhabitant of dry regions. 



(2) A. sum a. A small tree with white bark and hooked thorns, 

 in pairs ; flowers white, in spikes ; pod strap-shaped, straight. Khair, 

 Khaderi. This delicate looking and pretty tree takes the place of 

 the babul in the Konkan. 



(3) A. concinna. A large climbing shrub; prickles hooked 

 flowers yellow or white, fragrant, the round heads in panicles ; pod 

 thick and succulent, contracted between the seeds. Chikahai. Com- 

 mon in the Konkan and Ghauts ; the pods are used for soap. 



(4) A. pennata. A large climbing shrub ; thorns straight or 

 nearly so ; flower as in the last ; pod straight, thin, often reddish. 

 Shembi. Common in the Konkan: the bark is used for dyeing 

 nets. 



