Materials for a Flora of the Malayan Peninsula. 21 



fleshy, cotyledons thin. — Distrib. Tropical Asia and Africa; species 

 about 17. 



Cnestis ramiflora, Grijff. Notul. IV, 432. A small tree or a 

 climber, young branches, rachises of leaves, under surfaces of leaflets 

 and inflorescence more or less softly rusty-tomentose. Leaves 8 to 15 

 in. long; leaflets 19 to 31, ?ub-sessile, narrowly oblong, rarely slightly 

 obovate, obtuse or sub-acute ; the base broad, rounded or minutely 

 cordate ; upper surface sparsely adpressed-pubescent or glabrescent, the 

 nerves pubescent ; main nerves 4 or 5 pairs, spreading, faint ; length 

 1'25 to 3 in., breadth "4 to 1*5 in. Bacemes much shorter than the 

 leaves, in axillary fascicles. Female flowers about '35 in. in diam., the 

 males smaller. Sepals narrowly oblong, obtuse, pubescent on both 

 surfaces. Petals similar in shape to the sepals but sometimes longer, 

 glabrous. Stamens much shorter than the sepals, the filaments glabrous. 

 Disc and Ovaries 5, tomentose, styles short. Follicles 1 to 3 from one 

 flower, sessile, compressed, falcate, widest about the middle, much 

 curved, rugose, rusty-pubescent ; the pericarp very thick, woody, lined 

 inside with a dense layer of sericeous tomentum, 1*5 to 1'75 in. long 

 and "8 in. broad. Seed broad, compressed, the testa and arillus thin. 

 Kurz Journ. As. Soc. Beng. Vol. XLV, pt. 2, p. 216 ; For. Flora Burma, 

 I, 329 ; Hook, fil. Fl. Br. Ind. IT, 54. C.flaminea, GrifE. Notul. VI, 433. 

 C. platantha, Grifl. 1. c. 434 ; Kurz 1. c. Cnestis foliosus and C. igneuSy 

 Planch. MSS. in Herb. Kew. Gonnarus foliosus, Jack in Wall. Cat. 8529. 

 G, igneus. Wall. Cat. 8528. Uourea dasyphylla, Miq. Fl. Ind. Bat. 

 Suppl. 528. 



In all the provinces, a common plant. — Distrib. Burma, Sumatra, 

 Philippine Islands. 



A widely distributed plant and therefore presenting various forms, some of 

 which (as the synonymy shows) have been regarded as species. The form which is 

 most distinct is that which assumes the habit of a small tree ; but its flowers and 

 leaves are in no way different from those of the scandent forms. This was, how- 

 ever, kept separate by Kurz under the specific name C. ramiflora Griff, j while, for 

 the scandent forms, he kept the name C. platantha, Griff. 



Order XXXVIII. LEGUMINOS^. 

 (By D. Prain.) 

 Herbs, shrubs or trees. Leaves stipulate and usually alternate, 

 pinnate or digitate or simple, often stipellate, sometimes with the rachis 

 ending in a bristle or tendril. Inflorescence axillary or leaf -opposed or 

 terminal ; usually simply racemose or panicled ; bracts and bracteoles 

 usually both present. Flowers usually irregular, hermaphrodite, rarely 

 regular or polygamous. Sepals 5, combined or free, often unequal, 

 sometimes arranged in two lips. Petals 5, rarely fewer by arrest, very 



21 



