NEILGHERRY PLANTS. 45 
only one I have seen on the Hills, but Captain Munro found asecond with red seed apparently S. heptaphylla 
which he discovered in jungles below Nedawuttem. 
DeCandolle places the tribe Sophoree at the head of his arrangement, Endlicher, I think with advantage 
removes it toa station more advanced, placing it next Casalpinee to which they approach through their free 
stamens, thus forming a connecting link between the Curvembrie and Rectembriz, having the Papilioraceous 
Corolla of the former, and the free stamens of the latter, the radicle being, moreover, less distinctly curved than 
in the true Papilionacee and sometimes even straight. 
SopHora GLauca (Lesch.) shrubby: leaflets pubiscence. Leaves unequally pinnate, leaflet about 12 
19-23, elliptical, mucronate, upper side glaucous and pairs, ovate oblong, mucronate, glaucous above: race- 
velvety, under villous: racemes terminal, crowded.— mes erect, man flowered, each flower furnished with a 
. and A. Prod. p. 179. 
This is an abundant and very handsome shrub in half the length of the petals. Vexillum shorter than the 
flower at all seasons. Itis met with in every wood wings, emarginate, retuse. Legumes tor j 
and also in the hedge rows and thickets about the form. Seed oval polished hard, radicle inferior nearly 
houses. It is an erect growing ramous plant rising straight. 
to the height of from 8 to 12 feet, particularly con- — This very ornamental shrub merits a place in every 
Spicuous by its numerous long erect racemes of pale garden and shrubbery as with a little care in pruning 
purple flowers. The young branches, leaf—stalks and it might be much improved in appearance, 
under surface of the leaves clothed with soft velvety : 
CROTALARIA. 
Calyx 5-lobed, somewhat 2-lipped; the upper lip 2-, the lower 3-cleft. Corolla: vexillum large, cordate, 
with scales or callosities at the base : keel falcate, usually tapering to a point, more rarely obtuse. Filaments 
all united ; sheath usually cleft in its upper part. Legumes turgid: valves ventricose, inflated. Seeds com- 
pressed, reniform, usually several.—Herbaceous or shrubby plants. Stipules and bracteas sometimes minute 
or wanting, sometimes large. Leaves simple or palmately compound, with 3-5-7 leaflets. Flowers usually 
yellow.—W. and A. Prod. p. 180. 
This is a most extensive genus, in the papilionaceous tribe second only to Astragalus in the number of its 
Species which now amount to about 250. ey are generally large flowered showy plants, with very few 
exceptions, of tropical or subtropical origin and for the most part natives of Asia and America. In habit they 
are shrubby or herbaceous many of the latter very small. Though the species are thus numerous, yet they are 
upon the whole of easy discrimination owing to the numerous well marked groups into which they can 
be classed. Very few of the species are in an economical point of view useful toman. The genus being prin- 
cipally of tropical origin but few are found on the Hills, but those that do occur are usually among the most 
handsome that are met with in this part of India, 
CroraLarta Barsata (Graham:) herbaceous, leaves cuneate, obovate, obtuse, glabrous on the upper 
erect, densely clothed with dark brown hairs: stipules side, villous beneath: ‘bracteas lanceolate, acuminat-. 
inute, pi ] blong-lanceolate,blunt- ed, lower ones without flowers: flowers i nse 
ish; racemes terminal, elongated: flowers few, dis- raceme at the extremities of the bracteated elongated 
tant: calyx a little shorter than the corolla, deeply branches: bracteoles setaceous, on the middle of the 
5-cleft, very hairy ; segments slightly falcate: legume pedicels : calyx villous; legume oblong, broader up- 
glabrous, stalked, 2-3 times the length of the calyx, wards, glabrous, about 4 times the length of the calyx, 
obovoid : apex of the style and stigma woolly.—W. and many-seeded.—W. and A. Prod. p. 136 
rod. p. 181 ee 
A. Prod. ‘ 
is fine species is not uncommon in the woods on the sides igher hills. It is very abundant 
about Ootacamund in moist soil near streams, &c. It along the Kaity road flowering in great perfection in 
attains a considerable size and is easil recognized by February and March but is not confined to these 
the unusual hairiness of all the young parts and its months. It is well named sa” i 
large conspicuous blossoms. When growing among beautiful species. It is a small erect shrubby plant . 
e 
height of 10 or 12 feet but this is not common. It vourable situations occasionally as high as 5 feet each 
turns black in drying and in the herbarium is a course branch terminated as here shown, by a rich compact 
shaggy looking plant, a glance at the dissected seed cluster of pale yellow flowers streaked with brown. 
fig. 10 will explain the nature of a curved radicle. The upper surface of the leaves is of a deep pea green 
raham!:) erect, branch- the under whitish from a dense covering of white hairs. 
ed, all over villous except the upper side of the leaves: | CRroraLarta WALLICHIANA (W. and A.:) her- 
stems terete: stipules minute, setaceous, reflexed: baceous, erect, much branched, young branches irre- 
