\JiViu. i,i;(irM[N<)S.F. 341 



scarious, laiict'olixto, acuminate, ])rnlonp;(Hl below their insertion info 

 acute auricles. Leaflets alternate, 21-71, subsessile, Yn-\ by T^xr~Yi\ ^"-t 

 set obliquely on the rhachis and ovcrlappinEj, linear, obtuse, apiculate, 

 glabrous, unequal-sided, thin, 1 -nerved, the up])erniost much the 

 smallest. Flowers in 1-4-flowered axillary racemes ; peduncles about 

 I in. lone:, Jiiid as well as the pedicels, glandular, often viscid ; pedicels 

 |-;| in. long, filit'orm ; bracts foliaceous, bristle-toothed ; bracteoles 

 ^-J( in. long, linear-oblong, acute. Calyx ]- in. long, thinly mem- 

 branous, glabrous : upper lip bifid ; lower lip minutely 3-toothed. 

 Corolla I in. long, yellow ; standard veined with purple. Pods 1-1 J by 

 ^ in., slightly curved or nearly straight ; upper sutun^s straight, the 

 lower more or less indented; joints 0-10, readilv separating, smooth or 

 slightlv papillose. Fl. B. I. v. 2, p. 151 ; Grab. Cat. p. 48; Dalz. & 

 G\hs. p. 62 : Trim. Fl. Ceyl. v. 2, p. 38 ; Woodr. in Journ. Bomb. Nat. 

 V. 11 (1897) p. 423: Watt. Diet. Econ. Prod. v. 1, p. 126.— Flowers : 

 Aug.-Dec. 



KoNKAN : Stocks I ; liills near Matlieran, Kanitkav ! Deccan : Poona, Cooke. !, 

 ]Voodrow\, Kanitkarl; Kolhapur, Woodrow. Gujarat: comnion about Surat, 

 l)al:eU if Gibson. — Distrib. Tlirou£;liout the Tropics of the Old World. 



2. .Alschynomene aspera, Lmw. Sp. PL (1753) p. 713. An 

 erect perennial shrub reaching 10 ft. in height ; stem pith-like, 3 in. or 

 moi-e in diam., often horizontal below and floating, then erect, full 

 of light spongy white pith, glabrous ; branches few or none. Leaves 

 sessile or nearly so, iraparipinnale : stipules k in. long, lanceolate, 

 prolonged below their insertion into short auricles, deciduous. Leaflets 

 Gl-TOl, alternate or opposite, sessile, ^-| by ^-^ in., linear-oblong, 

 obtuse, apiculate, 1-nerved, glabrous. Flowers in axillary 2-4-flowered 

 corymbose racemes shorter than the leaves : peduncles and pedicels 

 hairy ; bracts g in. long, ovate, acute ; bracteoles 2, broadly ovate, 

 acute, mucronate, ciliate, g-J in. long. Calyx | in. long, hispid ; upper 

 lip rounded ; the lower 3-lobed. Corolla | in. long, fugacious ; standard 

 glabrous ; keel-petals hairy outside. Pods woody, nearly straight, 2-3 

 by |-| in., often indented on both sutures, ahvays on the lower one ; 

 joints 4—8, echinulate or smooth on the faces. Fl. B. I. v. 2, p. 152 ; 

 Trim. Fl. Ceyl. v. 2. p. 30 ; A¥oodr. in Journ. Bomb. Nat. v. 11 (1897) 

 p. 423 ; Watt, Diet. Econ. Prod. v. 1, p. 125. 



A swamp-species, not very common in t.lie Bombay Presidency. S. M. Country : 

 Dharwar districts, Woodroiv ! Kaxaua : Woodrow ! — Distrib. India (Bengal, Assam, 

 Silhet, Birma) ; Malay Isle.«, Tropical Africa. 



The soft spongy pith-like stems, known as Sola, are used for a variety of purposes. 

 Owing to its lightness fishermen use Sola for floats, while the liglit helmets worn by 

 Europeans {Sohi-ioph) are made from it. It is also employed as a surgical lint. 

 See Watt. Diet. Econ. Prod. 1. c. 



25. ELEIOTIS, DC. 



Annual diffuse slender herbs. Leaves 1-3-foliolate ; stipules striate. 

 Leaflets 2-stipellate. Flowers in axillary and terminal racemes. Floral 

 bracts large, ovate, striate, deciduous, each enclosing 2 flowers in bud ; 

 bracteoles 0. Calyx small, 5-toothed. Corolla small ; standard sub- 

 orbicular, clawed, emarginate ; wings oblong ; keel obtuse. Stamens 

 diadelphous : anthers uniform. Ovary subsessile or shortly stalked : 

 ovules 1-2 ; stvle inflexed above, somewhat thickened at the flexure ; 



