Dnlichmt. oiAnKLPHiA drcandria. 305^ 



10. 1). hnlbosns. Willd. iii. 104(1. 



Root tuhcrous. Stem twining-. Leaflets villous, with their 

 exterior luargins sinuate dentate. 



Cacara bulbosa. Humph. Amb. v. /. 132./. 2. bad. 



On the continent of India this plant is an exotic, and has 

 been introduced from the Malay Islands. Probably first from 

 South America to the Philippine Islands, a route by which 

 several [)lants have found their way from the new Avorld, to 

 the eastern |)arts of Asia, and from thence the useful kinds soon 

 find their way to the westward. See Kumphius's account of 

 the plant, at page 373 of the 5th volume of his Herbarium 

 Amboinense. 



Root tuberous, not in bundles but single, varying- much in 

 shape, and with high cultiue, growing to a very great size; 

 outside \\\nie, inside much like that of a turnip. Stem rumous, 

 sometimes perennial, twining to a great extent. Young parts 

 tolerably well clothed with retlexed soft hairs. Leaves ter- 

 nate. Leaflets, the pair nearly triangular, the interior one of a 

 rhomb-reniform shape; in all, the interior margins are serrate- 

 dentate, and somewhat villous on both sides ; size various, the 

 largest often six inches each way. Petioles channelled, ^^i- 

 pules of the petioles ensiform,* those of the leaflets filiform. 

 Racemes axillary, from one to two feet long, sub-erect, bear- 

 ing numerous fascicles, of large, short, pedicelled. beautiful, 

 violet blue flowers inserted on large glandular knobs. Brac- 

 tes of both pedicel and calyx small, and caducous. Calyx 

 four-parted, the upper lip, or division, broad, emarginate. 

 Vexillum sub-rotund; wings semilunate, with a long filiform 

 projection at the base. Filaments alternately shorter. Germ 

 Avith a crenulate nectarial ring round the base; apex of the 

 style spirally incurved, almost as in the Pliaseoli. Stigma 

 large. Legume linear, straight, compressed, laterally con- 

 tracted between the seeds, of a dark blackish brown colour; 



* Can Loureiro's plant be the same ? he says his is without sti- 

 pules, and here they are pretty large, and conspicuous. 



