756 ON THE VOLCANO OF TAAL, 



70. Desmodium pulchellum, Bentham. A weed or under- 

 shrub spread over India from Ceylon and the Peninsula to the 

 Archipelago, and northwards to the Himalayas, South China, the 

 Philippines and Australia. 



71. Desmodium polvcarpum, DC. A range like the last 

 species, but extending to the Pacific islands as well as Australia. 



72. Desmodium parvifolium, DC. Common in the hilly districts 

 of India, from Ceylon and the Peninsula to the Archipelago, and 

 northwards to the Himalayas, the Philippines, South China to 

 Amoi and Japan, where it is called Hime-no-hagi, and D.podocariium 

 Nasubito hagi, or the thief-pea. 



73. Desmodium latifolium, DC. This species I have not seen. 



74. MucuNA GIGANTEA, DC. Aroai-gurahit Sundanese ; in 

 Japanese Hashio-mami, meaning a peculiar kind of bean. A plant 

 well known by the inntating hairs on the pod. They are not 

 barbed, but minute needles, sharp at both ends and twisted in 

 shape, so that any friction rubs them into the skin. It is a rather 

 pretty, climbing plant, with greenish-yellow flowers on pendulous 

 peduncles. Widely distributed over East India and the Archi- 

 pelago, the Philippines, and the islands of the South Pacific. 

 There ave two species in Hong Kong, but quite diflTerent from this, 

 and not known from elsewhere. A decoction of the roots of M. 

 gigantea is said to be a powerful diuretic. The hairs are esteemed 

 as an anthelmintic ; the ripe pods ar-e dipped in syrup and scraped. 

 When the syrup is as thick as honey from the hairs, it is fit for 

 use. It acts mechanically, causes no uneasiness, and may be safely 

 taken from a teaspoonful to a taVjlespoonful, fasting. The worms 

 appear with the second or third dose. A vinous infusion of the 

 pods is said to be a cure for dropsy. An infusion of the roots 

 with honey is used in India by native physicians for cholera 

 morbus (Don). 



75. MuCUNA ATRO-PUPUREA, DC. 



76. Canavalia obtusifoeia, DC. Kranjang, Javanese. In 

 Malay the same word is applied to the lemon tree. This species 

 is common on the sea-coasts of South America, Africa, and tropical 



