178 ^^" LEGUMIKOS.^. 



25. CROTALARIA, Linu. 



Calyx-lobes nearly equal, or tlie 2 upper ones and the 3 lower ones more 

 or less united. Standard orbicular or ovate; mm\s shorter; keel incurved 

 or angled, terminating inwards in a straight or incurved beak. Stamens all 

 united in a sheath, open along the upper side; anthers alternately long and 

 erect and short and versatile. Ovary sessile or stipitate, with 2 or more 

 ovules; style much incurved or suddenly bent inwards, with a longitudinal 

 line of hairs above the middle on the inner side (son^etimes very small) ; stigma 

 terniiual. Pod turgid or inflated, continuous inside. Seeds not strophiolate, 

 on slender funicles.— Herbs or shrubs. Leaves simide or digitately couipouTid 

 with 1, 3 or (m species not Australian) 5 or 7 leaflets often marked witli 

 pellucid dots. Stipules free from the petiole, occabionally decurrent along 

 tlie stem, frequently small or wanting. Pluwers yellow or blue, in simple ter- 

 minal racemes, becoming sometimes leaf-opposed, with a bract, often veiy 

 small, under each pedicel and minute bracteoles adnata to the calyx-tube or 

 just below it. 



A very large and weU-markcd genus, widely dispersed over the tropical and warm regious 

 both of 'the New and the Old world. Of the 14 Australian species 8 are East Indian, ana 

 2 of these are also abuadaut in many parts of Africa and America, the remaining 6 are en- 

 demic, 8 of them belonging to a group peculiarly Australiau. 



Skuies I. Simplicifoliae.— i.?^i;.?5 simple, continuous w'Uli the short petiole, the Aas- 

 iratian species ail herbs or undershrubs. 



Ovary and pod pubescent or villous. 



Leaves ovate. Stipules leafy, semilunar or falcate. Flowers 



blue 1. C?. verrucosa. 



Leaves oblong, linear, or rarely obovate. Stipules setaceous or • 



none. Flowers yellow. 

 Ovules 2. Pod usually 1-seeded, not exceeding the calyx. 



Flowers small 2. C. crispata. 



Ovules numerous. Pod many-seeded, above 1 in. long. 



Flowers rather large • » . , , 3. C.juncea, 



Ovary and pod quite glabrous. 



Upper leaves usually liuear. Petals and pod not exceeding the 



calyx. 

 . Calyx 3 to 4 lines lonir, silliy-pubesceut or shortly villouSj 



the 2 upper lobes united 4. C. It^nfoha, 



Calyx 1 iu. long, densely hirsute with long spreading hairs, 



the upper lobes free 5. C. calyctna. 



Upper leaves broad, oblong-cuneate or rarely almost liuear. 



Petals and pod much longer than the calyx. 

 Leaves oblong cuneate. Flowers large in loose racemes. 



Calyx 4 to 6 lines ; pod 1^ in. long 6. C. retusa. 



Leaves oval-elHptical or oval-lanceolate. Flowers numerous 



in dense racemes. Calyx not above 3 lines, pod, under i 



in. long ; 7- aMitcheUu 



•Sect. II. Unifoliolatae.— i^irr<?j sirtiple, the petiole articulate or geniculate above 

 'middle. Stem shrubby. 



Flowers under J in. long ; standard obtuse. 



Leaves pubescent or villous, at least underneath. Stipules none -, j,^^ju 



or not decurrent , ! . . . 8. C. Nova^HoUand^' 



Whole plant quite glabrous. Stipules decurrent 9. C crassipf^s, ^^,.^ 



Flowers li in. long or more; standard acute or acuminate . . 10. (7. CunjwiS ^' 



