256 XL. LEGUMiKOSiE. [Canamlk. 



m 



"broad, 2-valvedj with a prominent longitudinal rib or wing on each side of the 

 upper suture. Seeds rounded or oblong, with a linear hilum, varying in 

 length. — Large herbs with twining or trailing stems. Leaflets 3, usually 

 large, stipellate. Stipules miiuite, often gland-like or none. Plowers rather 

 large, purplish pink or wliite, in axillary racemes ; pedicels very short, clus- 

 tered on lateral nodes along the upper portion of the rhachis. Bracts mi- 

 nute. Bracteoles small, orbicular, very deciduous. 



The species are widely distributed over the tropical regions of the New and the Old WorlJ, 

 some of them cultivated iu India for food, although others are very poisonous. The Aus- 

 tralian one is a common maritime plant. The genus is readily known by Ihe calyx, different 



from all except some species oi F/iaseolus, vihich have di very different keel, stigma, and 

 pod. 



^ 1. C. obtusifolia^ DC. Prod, ii. 404. Glabrous or the young shoots 

 silky-pubcsceut, the stems more frequently prostrate or trailiugthan twining. 

 Leaflets broadly obovate or orbicular, very obtuse or retuse, 2 to 3 in. long 

 and rather tliick, rarely thimier, attaiuing 4 or 5 in. and obscurely acuminate. 

 Flowers pink or nearly white, along the upper portion of stout erect pedun- 

 cles, varying from 6 in. to i ft. in length. Calyx nearly ^ in. long, the upper 

 lip nearly as long as the tube, with 2 very broad rounded lobes, the lower 

 nearly half as long with 3 small lobes. Standard orbicular, | in. diameter; 

 keel much curved, but obtuse. Pod f to 1 in. broad, the longitudinal wings 

 very narrow. Seeds 2 to 8, tlie hilum oblong or shortly linear, not half the 

 length of the seed.— Benth. iu Mart. PI. Bras. Pap. 178, t. 48, where the 

 numerous synonyms are quoted. 



^ N. Australia. Nichol Bay, N.W. coast, K Gregory's Ex2)ediiion ; Upper Victoria 

 n\^-, F. Mueller; islands of the Gulf of Carpentaria, E, Brown. 



Queensland. Endeavour river. Bustard Bay, Bay of Inlets, etc., Banks avd Solan- 

 der, R. Brown; Moreton Bay, F. Mueller; luisw'ich, Nernst ; Broad Souud and Fitzrov 

 river, Bowmmi, 



N. S. Wales. Manly Beach, Port Jackson, JFoolls, 



Ihe species is common on the sea-coasts of S. America, Africa, and tropical Asia. 

 ^ [ueller's herbarium contains a specimen of C. Bo/iariensis, Liudl., with narrower acu- 

 minate leaflets and the lower lip of the calvx very small mid entire, inarl<ed "Moreton Bay 

 on the label, but probably from a garden, ' It is a S. American and S. African, but not an 

 Asiatic species. 



r. M 



58. PHASEOLUS, Linn. 



Calyx 2 upper lobes or teeth united in a short entire or 2-Iobt'd upper lip, 

 the lowest one longer and narrow. Standard broad, recuiTed, often oblique 

 or twisted; wings obliquely obovate or oblonsr, adhering to the keel; keel 

 produced into a long linear beak, more or less spirally twisted. UpF"" 

 stamen free, the others united ; anthers uniform. Ovary nearly sessile, « i i 

 several ovules ; style thickened within the beak of the keel and twisted wUn 

 It, more or less bearded upwards along the inner side ; stigma oblique or «" 

 the mner side of the style. Pod linear or falcate, flat or terete, 2-valved. 

 beeds with a small or shortly linear hilum, not strophiolate.— Herbs eitner 

 annual or perennial and woody at the base, short and erect or elongated and 

 twining in the same species. Leaves pinnately 3-foliolate or very rarely l-w- 

 liolate, stipellate, the leaflets entire or lobed. Stipules usually persisted, 



striate, sometimes produced below their insertion. Tlowers white yellowisn 



