258 A FLORA OF MANILA 
purple flowers. Petioles 8 to 12 cm long. Leaflets subcoriaceous, broadly 
obovate-elliptic, 8 to 15 cm long, nearly as wide, the base usually acute, 
apex broad and rounded or retuse. Scapes erect, 20 to 40 ecm high, bear- 
ing near the apex few, paired, racemosly arranged flowers about 4 cm 
long. Calyx 2-lipped, the upper lip large, broadly 2-lobed, the lower one 
small, subtruncate, 3-toothed. Standard 3 cm wide, retuse. Pod 8 to 12 
em long, 2.3 to 3 cm wide, somewhat turgid when mature. 
Pasay beach, fl. Aug.March; throughout the Philippines along the 
seashore. Tropics of the world. : 
8. C. ensiformis (L.) DC. 
A scandent herbaceous or suffrutescent vine reaching a length of from 
2 to 5 m, nearly glabrous, or some parts more or less pubescent. Leaflets 
narrowly ovate to oblong-ovate, acuminate or acute, base usually rounded, 
8 to 16 cm long. Racemes axillary, solitary, up to 40 cm long, flowering 
only near the apex, only 2 or 3 flowers open at a time. Flowers nearly 
sessile, reflexed. Calyx green, about 1.5 cm long, the upper lip cleft into 
2 broad lobes, the lower reduced to 3 small teeth. Corolla pink, about 
3.5 cm long. Pod 14 to 17 cm long, 2 to 2.5 cm wide, flattened, not turgid, 
8 to 10 mm thick along the upper suture, containing about 15 seeds. 
In thickets, Masambong, fl. Nov._March; widely distributed in the Phil- 
ippines, some forms cultivated. Tropics generally, wild and cultivated. 
*4, C. GLADIATA (Jacq.) DC. Haba (Sp.-Fil.). 
A glabrous vine reaching a length of several meters. Leaflets ovate, 
somewhat acuminate, 8 to 15 em long. Racemes axillary, long-peduncled, 
few-flowered. Flowers white, turning pink, about 3 cm long. Pods large, 
narrowly-oblong, somewhat curved, 25 to 35 cm long, 4 to 5 cm wide. Seeds 
red. (FI. Filipi. pl. 449.) 
Occasionally cultivated. Not common in the Philippines and only cul- 
tivated; undoubtedly native of tropical America, now wild or cultivated in 
many hot countries. 
50. CENTROSEMA DeCandolle 
Scandent herbaceous vines with 3-foliolate leaves, the stipules persistent, 
basifixed. Flowers rather large and showy, in axillary racemes, the bracts 
and bracteoles persistent. Calyx shortly campanulate, the lobes or teeth 
subequal, or the upper 2 connate. Corolla much exserted. Standard broadly 
orbicular, longer than the wings. Stamens usually diadelphous. Ovary 
subsessile, many-ovuled; style somewhat enlarged upward, incurved. Pods 
linear, the valves longitudinally 2-ribbed. (Greek “spur” and “standard.”) 
Species about 26, all American, 1 introduced here. 
1. C. PLUMIERI (Turp.) Benth. 
A twining, herbaceous vine, from a woody base, reaching a length of 
5 m or more, glabrous or nearly so. Leaflets ovate, shortly acuminate, 5 
to 15 em long, entire. Racemes axillary, solitary, few-flowered. Flowers 
4 to 5 em long, white, the center magenta. Pods 10 to 15 cm long, about 
1 cm wide, long-acuminate, prominently longitudinally 2-ribbed along each 
valve. (FI. Filip. pl. 455, Clitorea plumie7i.) 
In thickets near the Balicbalic cemetery; not common in the Philippines 
and doubtfully spontaneous. A native of South America, introduced and 
now spontaneous in Malaya. 
