XLVIIl. I.IXiUMINOSJE. 366 



2. Mucuna atropurpurea, DC. Prodr. v. 2 (1825) p. 406. A 

 woody pereimial twiner; young branches sleiuler, glabrous. Leaves 

 reaching 7 in, long; petioles .'3-4 in, long; stipules ,V/ in. long, lanceo- 

 late, caducous. Leatlets 2^—5 by 1]^-'-^ i'^v thinly coriaceous, elliptic- 

 oblong or ovate-oblong, acuminate (the ternnnal ecjual-sided and nar- 

 rowed, the lateral inequilateral and rounded at the base), glabrous 

 above, with a few scattered hairs beneath, reticulately veined ; stipels 

 yg- in. long, subulate. Flowers in short 10-lfj-flowered racemes or 

 panicles ; pedicels ^-| in. long ; bracts triangular. Calyx i-| in. long, 

 downy and with a few orange-colored bristles, deeply bilabiate; upper 

 lip about half as long as the tube, the 3 lower segments triangular, equal. 

 Corolla dark purple, large, 2-2i in. long ; keel abruptly curved upwards 

 at the tip ; standard 1 in. broad. Pods more tl)an double as long as 

 broad, 3-5 by l^-lf iu., winged along botli sutures with 10-1-i parallel 

 plaits running obliquely across the faces from the winged margins, 

 clothed with copious orange-colored irritant bristles. Seeds usually 2 

 (rarely 1), broadly ellipsoid, slightly compressed ; hilum extending half 

 round the edge. * Fl. B. I. v. 2, p. 186 ; Grab. Cat. p. 53 ; Trim. Fl. 

 Ceyl. V. 2, p. 61. 



Konkan: S. Konkan, Nimmo, fide Graham 1. c. 



Thi8 plant bas been included on the authority of Graham who cites Nimmo, I have 

 seen no specimens from Bombay. — Distrib. India (W. Peninsula); Ceylon.^ 



3. Mucuna gigantea, DC. Prodr. v. 2 (1825) p. 405. A large 

 woody perennial twiner; stems reaching a great length; branches 

 slender, glabrous. Leaves 5-9 in. long ; petioles 4-5 in. long, glabrous ; 

 stipules linear, i in. long. Leaflets 4-5 by 2-2| in., ovate or elHptie, 

 acuminate (terminal leatlets equal-sided and cuneate, lateral leaflets in- 

 equilateral and rounded at the base), glabrous on both surfaces ; stipels 

 ^ in. long, subulate. Flowers in umbelliform corymbs ; peduncles 

 4—18 in. long ; pedicels | in. long ; bracts and bracteoles minute, 

 deciduous. Calyx |-| in. long, with a few irritant bristles ; tube 

 cyliudric ; upper lip subtruncate, the 3 lower teeth very small and tri- 

 angular in bud, afterwards obsolete. Corolla 1-1| in, long, greenish 

 yellow ; keel not abruptly inflexed at the tip. Pods 'S-Q by 2 in,, broadly 

 winged down both sutures, but not plaited across the face, clothed with 

 deciduous yel]owish-bro\\ n irritant bristles. Seeds 2-6 ; hilum extending 

 round more than half the edge. Fl. B. I. v. 2, p. 186 ; Grab. Cat. 

 p. 53 ; Trim, Fl. Ceyl. v. 2, p. 02. 



Konkan : Niimno, fide Graham 1. c. 



A littoral species found on the Indian and Malayan coasts. It is included, ag the last 

 species has been, on the authority of Graham who gives Nimmo as his authority, I 

 have seen no specimens from the Bombay Presidency. 



4. Mucuna pruriens, DC. Prodr. v. 2 (1825) p. 405, An annual 

 twiner ; branches slender, more or less hairy at first, at length glabres- 

 cent. Leaves 3-foliolate ; petioles 2|-4| in, long, appressedly silky ; 

 stipules lanceolate, ^ in, long. Leaflets membranous, 3-5 by 2-3 in. 

 (the terminal leaflets slightly the smaller, rhomboid-ovate with cuneate 

 base, the lateral leaflets with truncate base, very inequilateral, the lower 

 side greatly dilated), all subacute, mucrouate, pubescent above, densely 

 clothed with silvery-grey hairs beneath. Flowers in elongate 6-30- 

 flowered racemes G-12 in. long, the flowers solitary or 2-3 together 



