348 



This plant grows on the bank of water-courses in rich 

 moist soil, flowering from January to about March. It is 

 very common in the Circars, near Samul Cottah. I have, 

 as yet, discovered only one station to the south, at Vellan- 

 garry on the bank of the Salt River. It is a strong twining 

 plant, covering, with its long branches and large leaves, a 

 great extent of surface, particularly when growing near 

 trees, over which it has free scope to spread. 



[Dr. Wight has quoted doubtfully under this, the synonym 

 Carpopogon monospermum of Roxb. I possess a copy of a 

 drawing in the Museum of the Hon. the East India Com- 

 pany, of the same, which bears the name of DoUchos urens ; 

 but that plant of Linnaeus is a very different species of 

 Mucuna, a native of the West Indies, and not included in 

 the Hortus Benghalensis, where probably the name of Carpo- 

 pogon monospei'mum* was given to the same plant. It is quite 

 unlike any described species of Mucuna in De Candolle's 

 Prodromus : but belongs to the first division of that author, 

 " Legumina sulcis transversis," where there are only two 

 species, 31. urens and M. mollis, from both which the present 

 is at once distinguished by its one-seeded legume. The 

 acicular hairs which so copiously cover the fruit, calyx, 

 petioles, young branches, and even the young leaves, are of 

 a deep and bright ferruginous colour. — H.~\ 



SuppL. Tab. XII. Mucuna monosperma. Fig. 1, Stamens, 

 including the pistil. Fig. 2, Section of a pod with seed : 

 — natural size. 



XIII. 



MUCUNA PRURITA. 



(For Class and Order, &c., see the preceding Species.) 



Mucuna prurita ; floribus thyrsoideis, leguminibus oblongo- 

 curvatis compressis ecarinatis urentibus, foliolis subtus 



* Dr. Graham tells me that our plaut is the same as the one which, in Dr. 

 Wallich's Collection, is called " Mucuna monosperma," of Roxb. In our figure, 

 the Indian artist, with the view, probably, to show the underside of the lateral 

 leaflets, has given their petioles a twist, which brings the hiuer dilated sides 

 uppeMnost, and gives an incorrect appearance to the leaf. 



