274 • ^I-- LEGUMIN0S4!;. 



71. SOPHORA, Linn, 



Calyx-teeth very ^hort. Standard broad, erent or reflexed ; wings ohlong, 

 erect, free ; keel-petals like the wings or rather larger, overlapping each other 

 at the back but scarcely united. Stamens 10, free, or Q of thera shghtly 

 connected in a ring at the base ; anthe]:s uniform. Ovary shortly stipitate, 

 with several ovules ; style incurved, with a minute terminal stigma. Pod 

 moniliforai, fleshy, coriaceous or woody, in dehiscent or opening at leiigtli ui 

 2 valves, each seed enclosed in a separate cell. Seeds globular, oblong or 

 flattened ; cotyledons ^eshv ; radicle very short and straight or more or less 

 elongated and in^e^^ed.— Trees shrubs or rarely uudershrubs. Leaves un- 

 equally pinnate, without stipellse or with very small setaceous ones. Stipules 

 small. Flowers white yellow or rarely violet-blue, in racemes either simple 

 and terminal or foxming large terminal panicles. Bracts small, deciduous ; 

 bracteoles usually none. 



The genus is dispersed over the vfarmer regions of the New and the Old World, extending 

 also into New Zealand and S. Chili, where it assumes the form distinguished by some as a 

 genus under the name of Edwardsia, with a shorter standard and exserted stamens 

 two Australian species belong to the true Sophoras, with a larger standard and the stamen 

 enclosed iu the keel. One is a common tropical scacoast tree or shrub, the otHer is 

 demic. 



Hoary. Leaflets under 18, broadly ovate or orbicular, rather thick • • ],■ "J '^^'"^" J''' 

 Softly pubescent. Leaflets above 20, oval-oblong, thin 2. i>. rrasei . 



1. S. tomentosa, Linn.; DG. Prod. ii. 95. A tall shrub or small 

 tree, hoarj- all over with a minute close tomentum. Leaflets 11 w '^ 

 broadly ovate or orbicular, very obtuse or retuse, about 1 in. long or ra 

 more, rather thick and sometimes almost silky, rarely becoming g^^"*"""^'- 

 riowers pale yellow, in loose simple terminal racemes ; pedicels as long 

 the calyx. Calyx very broad, about 3 lines long, truncate with scarcely pr- 

 minent teeth. Standard broad, 9 to 10 lines diameter, spreading or retia ^ 

 above the middle ; wings and keel rather shorter, covering the stamens. ^ ^^ 

 indehiscent, much contracted between' the seeds, appearing to consist o ^^^^^ 

 10 nearly globular articles, each enclosing a globular seed ^!"" '''^ pi 

 shining testa ; radicle scarcely prominent and straight. — Benth. m 



Bras. Pap. 314, t. 124, with'the synonymy there cited. • ^^^ 



Queensland. Kcppel Bay, Broad Sound, etc., R. Brown; ^"^ .^^^ ^^^'^F^t-alan, 

 adjoining islands, from the Brisbane to the Bordekin, F. Mueller, M CdUvray, 

 Henne, and others, 



W. S. Wales. Hastings river, Beckkr. , . 



2. S. Fraseri, Benth, An erect slirub of 4 to a ft., the branches so ^J 

 pubescent or tomentose, more slender than in S. tomerdom, i^ ^|in. 

 31, oblong or rarely oval, obtuse or retuse, from under \ m. ^^J'.^Jtosa, 

 long, rather thin, pubescent. Flowers rather sinaUer than *^^f* ^^ \Q^a; 

 in similar loose terminal simple racemes,. Calyx broad, 2 *^ ^a ^^ensof^^S'- 

 the teeth prominent tbo.ugh very short and broad. Petals and ^^^™ ^^pcted 

 lomentosa, except that 9 of the stamens appear to be veiy short y ^^^ ^^^^^ 

 in a ring at the base, Pod tomentose, muqh less contracted between .^j^^^. 

 than in 5. torr^ntosa, the articles more oblong. Seeds ovoid-obIong> 

 radicle prominent and slightly incurved. 



