290 LEGUMINOS^. Centrosema. 



1. C.Mariana (Linn.): glabrous; stem somewhat twining or trailing; 

 leaves 3-foliolate, ovate-oblong or ovate-lanceolate ; peduncles short, 1-3- 

 flovvered; bracteoles lanceolate-subulate, much shorter than the calyx, simi- 

 lar to and scarcely larger than the bracts ; legumes linear-oblong, about 4-seed- 

 ed, torulose, glabrous.— Tra/^. Car. p. 186 ; WiUd. sp. 3. p. 1070; Michx. ! 

 f. 2. p. 62 ; Nutt.! gen. 2. p. 18 ; Ell. sk. 2. p. 240 ; DC. prodr. 2. p. 234. 



Dry soils, particularly along rivers, New-Jersey ! to Florida and Alabama ! 

 July-Aug.— Stem 2 feet or more in length. Leaflets variable in breadth, 

 sometimes subcordate at the base. Bracteoles scarcely one-fourth the length 

 of the calyx. Corolla 2 inches or a little more in length, pale blue. Stipe of 

 the mature fruit about the length of the peduncle. Legume IJ inch in length. 



12. CENTROSEMA. DC. (sub Clitoria) ; Benth. conim. Leg. gen. p. 53. 



Calyx short, broadly campanulate, 5-cleft, or 4-cleft by the union of the 

 two upper segments; the lower segment longest. Vexillum large, broadly 

 orbicular, with a short obtuse spur behind : keel semi-orbicular, scarcely short- 

 er than the wings, incurved, obtuse, on very short claws. Stamens mona- 

 ddphous or partly diadelphous. Style glabrous, dilated at the apex: stigma 

 barhulate. Legume nearly sessile, linear, compressed, subulate with the 

 style, somewhat thickened along the sutures ; the valves marked on each 

 side with a longitudinal nerve next the margin. — Twining herbs or shrubby 

 plants. Leaves pinnately 3- (rarely 5-) foliolate. Stipules often persistent, 

 acuminate or subulate, striate : partial stipules setaceous. Peduncles 1-2- 

 few-flowered. Lowermost bracts similar to the stipules ; the upper usually 

 orbicular and clasping : bracteoles larger than and appressed to the calyx. 

 Flowers very large ; the vexillum pubescent or villous on the outside. 



1. C. Virginiana (Benth. \. c): glabrous or somewhat pubescent; stem 

 very slender, angled, twining; leaves trifoholate; leaflets varying from oblong- 

 ovate to linear, reticulalely veined ; pe<luncles rather shorter than the leaves, 

 1-4-flowered ; segments of the calyx Hnear-subulate. much longer than the 

 tube, somewhat exceeding the ovate acuminate bracteoles, the 2 upper united 

 at the base ; legumes narrowly linear, very long. — Clitoria Virginiana, Linn.; 



Walt. Car. p. 186; Willd. sp. 3. p. 1069; Michx.! fl. 2. p. 62; Ell. sk. 2. 

 p. 240; DC. I. c. C. trifolius, flore minora &c., Dill. hort. Elth. t. 76. C. 

 calcarigera, Salish. par ad. Lond. t. b\. 



Dry soils, Virginia! to Florida ! and Louisiana! July-Aug.— Leaflets thin 

 but rather firm in texture, scabrous-pubescent with minute uncinate hairs, 

 or glabrous, variable in breadth. Bracteoles and calyx pubescerit with mi- 

 nute uncinate hairs. Flowers scarcely half the size of those of Clitoria Mari- 

 ana: corolla violet, pubescent externally. Legume nearly 6 inches long, 

 2-3 lines wide, subulate with the slender persistent style.— It appears from a 

 specimen examined by Mr. Bentham, that the upper segments of the calyx 

 are occasionally connate above the middle ; but this is not the case in any of 

 our specimens. 



2. C. Plmnieri (Benth.) : stem frutescent, the branches puberulent ; 

 leaflets broadly ovate, with a short obtuse acumination, broadly rounded at 

 the base, rather coriaceous, glabrous ; pejluncles 2-3-flowered, shorter than 

 the petiole; bracteoles coriaceous, obtuse, entire, about twice the length of 

 the calyx ; upper segments of the calyx very short; legume thick (6 inches 

 long, about 6 lines broad). Benth. comm. Leg. gen. p. 54. Clitoria Plu- 

 mieri, Turpin, in Pers. sy7i. 2. p. 303 ; Bot. reg. t. 268; DC. I.e.; Nutt. 

 gen. I. c? 



