230 HOUSTOUn's central AMEPaCAN LEGUMINOSiE. 



Hedysakum sericeum. This is a Desmodium closely allied to 

 D. cajanifoUum DC, of wliicli it is probably a form. It agrees in 

 the inflorescence and shape of the legumes, but differs in the leaf, 

 the leaflets being ovate or elliptic-ovate, instead of oblong. 



Hedysarum villosum was transferred to DesmoiUum by De Can- 

 dolle {Prod. ii. 338) as "7)./ rillosiuii." Houstoun's specimen from 

 Vera Cruz, 3 731, to which his MS. name cited by Miller is attached, 

 -is Meihomid harhata O.K., to which M. villosa O.K. must therefore 

 be referred as a synonym. Judging by description, iM. nei/lecta O.K. 

 [Nicolsonia viUosa Cham. & Schlecht., D. riUosum of Hemsley, 

 erroneously quoted by Kunze as of Cham. & Schlecht.) must also 

 be placed here. Dr. Kunze bases his M. caijenncnse O.K. upon 

 Nicolsonia cayennensis DC, of which he cites as a synonym 7). l)ar- 

 batniii Bth. & Oerst. : he does not seem to have noticed tbat this is 

 also identical with his il/. Iiarbata. Every day maizes it more evident 

 that the wholesale transference of species from one genus to another 

 without a careful examination of either plants or bibliography can 

 only result in an unnecessary multiplication of synonyms. 



Hedysarum procumbens is the type of H. spirale Swartz, Prod. 

 107 (1788), and consequently of Desmodium spirale DC. Prod. ii. 332. 

 It was collected by Houstoun in Jamaica in 1730. 



The Tropical African plants referred to D. spirals DC. want 

 further investigation.'''' 



Swartz in his Prodroinus takes up several of Miller's Hedy- 

 sarums, but changes the names ; for instance : — 



H. canescens Mill. = H. incanum Swartz, /. c. 107. 



Hedysarum glabrum = Desmodium ? f/labrum DC. Prod. ii. 338 

 (1825) [Meibomia (jlabra 0. K.). The following supplements De 

 Candolle's description : — Stem herbaceous, erect. Leaves trifolio- 

 late ; the leaflets are described as obcordate in the original descrip- 

 tion, but in the type specimen they are ovate-acute. Inflorescence 

 paniculate, finely pubescent ; pedicels slender, i-J in. long. Pod 

 twisted, terminal segment lunulate, monospermous, this segment 

 being 3^-4 lines long, rather less broad. Sutures on both sides 

 convex, but ventral suture slightly intruded at point of insertion of 

 seed. Houstoun's name for this plant was " Hedysarum triphyllum, 

 auuuum, erectum, siliquis intortis et ad extremum amplioribus." 

 It was gathered at Campeachy in 1730. 



Our material is hardly sufficient to form a very definite opinion, 

 but the plant is certainly closely allied to D. molle DC, and differs 

 apparently chiefly in the tomentum on the under side of the leaflets. 



Hedysarum repens Mill., non Linn. Appears to be Meibomia 

 adscendens O.K. Miller's specimen is very young, without either 

 flowers or fruit ; it is not localized, but, according to the Dictionary, 



* Dcsiiiodiuin tortiioxuin DC. is founded on Hedi/mruni tortuosum Swartz, 

 I. c, which is itself founded on a plant and figure in Sloane's Ilistonj of Jamaica, 

 1, t. 116, fig. 9 — "Hedysarum triphyllum fruticosum flore purpureo, siliqua 

 varie distorta." — Sloane. The plant is in Herb. Sloane. iJ, 80. Houstoun 

 collected the plant in Vera Cruz in 1780; specimens from him are in Herb. 

 Banks and in Herb. Sloane, 292, p. 21, and 146, p. \51u 



