20 FLOEIDA VELVET BEAN AND RELATED PLANTS. 



This has larger seeds than any other species, and the pods also 

 are the largest and least pubescent. It requires, unfortunately, a 

 longer season than the Florida velvet bean by at least a month. 

 Some of the clusters of pods of this bean measure 3 feet in length 

 and bear over 50 pods. 



The edibility of the pods and seeds has been tested by Mr. S. H. 

 Gaitskill, of Mcintosh, Fla., who writes: 



We have been giving the fleshy-pod velvet bean a trial. I could not get the negroes 

 to try it until I had eaten it and had Mr. Dedman try it; then the negroes tried it. I 

 do not consider it a fine-flavored bean, but has no bad taste; in fact, is quite palatable, 

 and there were no bad effects at all. I would call it an edible bean. 



We found the bean better than the pod, and it might be that it would be more 

 palatable to let them get fairly ripe and use them as shelled beans. 



An important characteristic in which this species differs from the 

 others is that the pods do not dehisce at maturity, but the pods can 

 be broken in pieces without the valves separating. This character 

 will very likely be valuable in crossing with the Lyon bean and others 

 which dehisce rather too easily and thus shatter seed. 



STIZOLOBIIIM VELUTINUM. 



Stizolobium velutinum (Hassk.) n. comb. 



Mucuna velutina Hassk. (Beiblatter, p. 77, to Flora, 25th year, 

 1842, vol. 2.) 



The original description is as follows: 



Mucuna velutina. Nom. sund. Kioas boddas. 



Legumina lamellis transversis fere distituta: — Racemis abreviatis 6 — 4, 5 poll, 

 long. 0, 5 pll. crassis densissime velutinis subtereti-oblongis apice curvatis 6-loculatis, 

 seminibus compressis; — foliolis (lateralibus oblique-) ovatis mucronulatis utrinque 

 pilis adpressis minutissimus sparsis (in junioribus & calyce sericeis); corolla alba. 

 Caulis volubilis, petioli pedales, stipellfe subulatse, — Spec, intermedia M. mitem 

 inter & mollem DC. Prdr. II. 405. 



Hasskarl later published a modified description (Catalogus Planta- 

 rum in Horto Botanico Bogoriensi, 1844, p. 277), as follows: 



Mucuna velutina. Kwas. 



Floribus racemosis, bracteis subnullis, leguminibus densissime velutinis subtereti- 

 oblongis, apice curvatis vix 6- (sub 1-) loculatis, foliolis ovatis mucronulatis utrinque 

 pilis minutissimis adpressis sparsis. — Variat seminbus nunc maculatis majoribus 

 minoribusve (Kw. boeriek gedeh & leutiek) nunc immaculatis albis rugosis s. laevibus 

 (Kw. boddas mengroet & lietjien) aut viridiusculis aut nigris (Kw. heedjoh s. hiedung). 



Through the kindness of Dr. M. Treub, director of the Buitenzorg 

 Botanical Garden, we have obtained seeds of all the sorts now grown 

 there, These include the following S. P. I. Nos.: 21951 and 21953, 

 with black shiny seeds; 21952, with ash-colored seeds; 24657, marbled 

 ash and brown; 24424, reddish to pinkish gray, more or less marbled 

 with black or brown; 21955, greenish yellow or brownish, clouded 



179 



