246 CALYCIFLORiE. 



longer than the leaves, legumes reflected slightly 

 curved tereti-tetragonal mucronate appresso-hispid 

 many-seeded. 



Be Cand. Prod. II. 227, 



HAB. Common Port-Royal and St Andrew's mountains. 



FL. Throughout the year. 



Suffriiticose ; branches long, virgate, trailing, supported on 

 neighbouring shrubs, angulose, hispidulous with appressed hairs. 

 Leaflets petioluled, 2- rarely 3-paired with an odd one, oblongo- 

 ovate, mucronate, hispidulous with appressed hairs, hoary be- 

 neath : petiole terete. Racemes axillary, solitary, elongating 

 as the fruit begins to form, so as to exceed the leaf in length. 

 Flowers alternate, shortly pedicelled, furnished with a minute 

 subulatie ciliated bractea at the insertion. Calyx externally 

 hispidulous, 5-fid ; lobes acute. Standard rounded, internally 

 vermilion- coloured, externally pale and puberulous with a lon- 

 gitudinal green mid-nerve: wings acinaciform, minutely ciliated 

 at the apex: keel white, with the upper edge tinged with red, 

 and ciliated. Stamens 9 and 1. Ovary linear, minutely ap- 

 presso-puberulous : style filiform : stigma subcapitate. Legume 

 nearly 2 inches long, tereti-tetragonal, subulate at the apex, 

 appresso-hispidulous, slightly curved, many-seeded. 



This species appears to have been first detected by Bertero, 

 during his visit to this Island. As the leaves are very thin, 

 and the plant grows in thickets, it is not likely that it M'ill 

 be found adapted for the purposes of the Indigo grower. 



In the cultivation of the Indigo plant, the best time, for plough- 

 ing or preparing the land, is immediately after the October rains. 

 It has been found that sowing broadcast succeeds better than 

 in drills. A bushel of seed will plant from six to eight acres. 

 In the course of a few days the young plants come up ; soon 

 after which they ought to be cleaned and moulded. As the 

 plant grows wild in river courses and in dry gravelly situations, 

 a soil of a similar character is found the best adapted for its 

 cultivation. The rains ought also to be light and seasonable, 

 and it is of importance that they should fall immediately after 

 the young plants show themselves above ground, in order that 

 they may be invigorated, and enabled to resist the attacks of the 

 numerous insects to which they are, at this period of their growth, 

 exposed. From this time little rain is required, except im- 

 mediately after the branches have been cut ; at these periods a 

 shower is of great service enabling the plants to send out new 

 and vigorous shoots. A wet climate indeed is not at all suited 

 to the cultivation of the Indigo. It is true that the plant may 

 grow luxuriantly, but the juices are watery, and the produce 



