290 XL. LEGUMINOS.^. ' [Cdssla, 



23. C. leptoclada, BentL A shrub of 3 or 4 ft,, glabrous and very 

 glaucous, with very slender often purplish branches. Leaflets 2 pairs, obo- 

 vate to oblong-elliptical, very obtuse and sometimes emarginate, those of the 

 upper pair ^ to 1 in. long, of the lower pair smaller or wanting in the lower 

 leaves ; glands small, ovoid, l^etvveen those of each pair. Stipules very 

 minute. Peduncles in the upper axils very short, bearing 2 flowers on fili- 

 form pedicels, or sometimes the peduncle adnate to the branch, the pethcels 

 then proceeding from a little above the axil. Sepals obtuse, not 2 lines long. 

 Petals deep yellow, above 4 lines long. Anthers 2 or 3 rather larger than 

 the others. Pod stipitate, flat and glabrous, either nearly orbicular and 1- 

 seeded, or 2-seede4 and about | in. long and 4 lines broad. 



N, Australia, Inlands of the Gulf of Carpentaria, -R, Brown, {Herb, R Br.) 



■ Section V. Absus.— Sepals usually obtuse. Stamens 5 to 10, all perfect 

 and similar, the anthers opening in slits either short and terminal or extend- 

 ing down the sides of the cells. Pod flat, oblique and obliquely acute. Seeds 

 lying vertically in the pod. Herbs or (in species not Australian) shrubs, 

 often glandular-pubescent. "Flowers in simple terminal racemes, becoming ^ 

 sometimes lateral by the elongation of the branch. 



24. C. Absus, Linn.; Vog.Syn, Cass. 50. A viscidly pubescent much- 

 branched annual or biennial, rarely exceeding 1 ft. Leaflets 2 pairs, obhqnely 

 and broadly obovate, obtuse, | to 1 in. long or rarely more, the common pe- 

 tiole rather long and slender ; glands small between the leaflets of the lowcs 

 or of both pairs. Stipules narrow. Plowers small, in short termmal or ai 

 length lateral racemes. Bracts small, reflexed. Sepals narrow, obtuse, pu- 

 bescent, about 3 lines long. Petals scarcely longer. Stamens usuaUy o* 

 Style dilated at the end, with a rather broad fringed stigma. Pod 1 to 1, in- 

 long and about i in. broad. Seeds with very little albumen.— 1. ^i^^^^' 

 Fragm. iii. 50. 



W. Australia. Upper Victoria river, K Mueller ; islands of the Gulf of Carpentaria, 

 2Z. Brown. -n ^pQ 



^ Queensland. Bustard Bay, Banks and Solander ; Port Denison, FIL~^^^^>. ^" 

 ' river, Bowman, 

 ■ The species is common in tropical Asia and Africa. 



Section YI. Cham^ckista.— Sepals obtuse or acute. Stamens 5 o . 

 all perfect; anthers opening in slits either short and terminal or exteno 

 more or less down the sides of the cells. Pod linear, flat, straight ^ya^^^.^; 

 Seeds lying vertically in the pod. Herbs or undershrubs. Peduncles 

 lary, 1-flowered, solitary or 2 or 3 together. 



25. C. pxunila, Lmn,; Vog. Spi. Cass, 65. A diffuse, moi^^ ^^ ^^^ 

 pubescent perennial of short duration, with a hard almost woody oas^»^ .^ 

 stems rarely exceeding 1 ft. Leaflets much fewer than in (7. wimosoi^ m^^^ 

 the Australian specimens usually 8 to 12 pairs, litiear-falcate, 3 to ^^^^^^^^ 

 long; ; gland stipitate on the petiole below the lowest pair. Pedicels ^ .j^jg^ 

 solitary, shorter than the leaves, with minute bracteoles above ^^^y ^\^q 

 Sepals rather obtuse, about 2 lines long. Petals scarcely «f ^^[^ ° j at 

 sepals. Stamens 5, nearly equal, obtuse. Style short, slightly tlucK 



