ALYSICARPUS KUGOSUS D. C. AND ITS ALLIES. 15 



Over a wide tract of country there must have been millions 

 of these plants, and out of the enormous number which came under 

 observation during a month and more no individuals were seen which 

 could not be at once allocated (even from horse-back) to one or other 

 of the two types. Now if these types were intra-specific, then their 

 contrasting characters would be allelomorphs. I regret that it did not 

 at the time occur to me to observe the methods of fertilisation ; but 

 there is reason to expect that a typical papilionaceous flower with 

 diadelphous stamens is liable to cross-fertilisation. If so, and if the 

 contrasting characters were allelomorphs, then the occurrence of two 

 separate types each of them exhibiting the whole set of contrasting 

 characters, without the occurrence of even one individual which could 

 be classed as heterozygotic in even one pair of characters, would, I 

 suppose, be an impossibility. However, even if Alysicarpus were 

 shown always to be self-fertilised, still the absolute constancy and 

 uniformity of these two sets of characters in the same environment 

 would, I fancy, have convinced anyone who had seen them that we 

 have here two species. 



In a single homogeneous tract like the black soil referred to the 

 habit of a species is likely to remain fairly constant. But there is 

 little doubt that most of the species of Alysicarpus are highly plastic 

 and react strongly to environment ; and this plasticity is probably 

 the main cause of the confusion which now exists as regards the 

 species with the rugose lomentum, since the superficial (somatic) 

 differences between individuals of the same species are often more obvi- 

 ous than the morphological (germinal) differences between the species. 



The systematic notes which follow are based on the field obser- 

 vations referred to as well as on the material in the herbarium of 

 Mr. T. R. D. Bell, CLE., and myself, and the material in the herbarium 

 of the St. Xavier's College, Bombay, collected by Father Blatter and 

 Mr. Hallberg, and very kindly placed at my disposal by those gentle- 

 men. This material is all from Western India at various points from 

 Mt. Abu to Madura. It will be seen that I discriminate three 

 certain and one probable species. But I should be far from suggesting 

 that a study of material from the whole of India would not neces- 

 sitate the recognition of further species. This paper is intended 

 to be suggestive only, and is published in the hope that other workers 

 may find it of use in a further and more complete study of this 

 particular systematic problem. Especially has it been quite out of 

 the question to attempt the unravelling of the intricate synonymy 

 of these plants ; indeed it is doubtful whether this work could be 

 done anywhere but in Europe, where alone the numerous type sheets 

 may still be available. 



