PERKINS THE LEGUMINOSAE OF PORTO RICO. 199 



St. Kitts, Antigua (Grisebach), Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique, St. Vincent, Bar- 

 bados (Grisebach), Grenada, Tobago, Margarita. Native country probably east Africa 

 (Bentham). 



Local names, bejuco de conchitas, papito. 



Two of the Clitoria species found in Porto Rico are climbing plants, ( '. ternatea and 

 C. rubiginosa. The former, however, has imparipinnate leaves, 2 or 3-jugate leaflets, 

 blue and white resupinate flowers, and large bracteoles, while the latter has trifoliolate 

 leaves, and a pod with a prominulous midrib, a peculiarity that rarely occurs. 



The third Clitoria species, C. laurifolia, is an erect shrub, with a racemose inflores- 

 cence, while the peduncle of C. ternatea and C. rubiginosa has 1, or at most 3, flowers. 

 The roots, leaves, and seeds have emetic properties and are used in popular medicines, 

 while the flowers are often employed to color viands and beverages blue. 



C. ternatea is widely distributed in the Tropics, and is cultivated in the glass houses 

 of colder countries on account of its showy flowers. 



2. Clitoria rubiginosa Juss. 



(Urban, 299. ) 



Stem twining; leaflets ovate-oblong, acute, villous or sericeous below, 3 to 10 cm. 

 long, 1.5 to 3 cm. broad; peduncle 3 or fewer-flowered, 4 to 13 cm. long; flower large, 

 purple-variegated; bracteoles ovate-oblong, 3 or 4 times exceeded by the calyx tube; 

 calyx 2 to 5 cm. long; calyx lobes lanceolate, acuminate, almost one-half the length of 

 the tube; standard 5.5 cm. long; legume 3.5 to 5 cm. long, 1 cm. wide, convex, each 

 valve usually with a prominent midrib, glabrescent; seeds globose. 



Near Bayamon on hedges; between Aguas Buenas and Caguas along roads; near 

 Cayey, at Campito; near Salinas de Cabo Rojo on the edge of the forests; near Maya- 

 guez, on the sides of Mount Mesa; near Aguada, in the forests at Piedra Blanca. Cuba 

 (Grisebach), Jamaica (do.), Haiti, Guadeloupe, Martinique, St. Vincent, Tobago, 

 Trinidad (Grisebach). Widely distributed in tropical America. 



Local name, flor de pito. 



3. Clitoria laurifolia Poir. 



(Urban, 300.) 



Stem erect, herbaceous, pubescent, 30 to 60 cm. high; leaflets 3, oblong, rarely more 

 than 7.5 cm. long; apex very obtuse, retuse, or emarginate, pubescent beneath; pedun- 

 cle 1 or 2-flowered; bracteoles ovate, much exceeded by the calyx; flowers white; calyx 

 about 2.4 to 2.8 cm. long, silky-pubescent, rarely glabrous; teeth ovate-lanceolalc, 

 acute or acuminate, 0.8 to 1 cm long, the upper more or less connate, the lowest longer 

 and acuminate; corolla about 5 cm. long; legume 2.5 to C.25 cm. long, stipitate, with a 

 prominent midrib, rarely destitute of it; seeds ovoid-globose. 



Near Bayamon in sandy soil, near Dorado in plains near the coast. Cuba, Haiti 

 (Bentham), Trinidad. Tropical South America. 



53. CENTROSEMA Benth. 



Bradburya Raf. Fl. Ludov. 104. 1817. 



Centrosema Benth. Ann. Wien. Mus. 2: 117. 1838. 



Calyx shortly campanulate, the segments subequal, the two upper sometimes con- 

 nate; standard broadly orbicular, spurred on the back over the short, arched, compli- 

 cate claw, rarely with a more or less distinct gibber (tubercle); wings annate, obo- 

 vate; keel hardly shorter than the wings, wide, inflexed; upper stamen free or more 

 or less connate with the others; ovary Bubse'ssile, multiovulate; style inflexed, more 

 or less dilated at the apex; stigma terminal, slightly bearded; pod subsessile, linear, 



