Materials for a Flora of the Malayan Peninsula. 123 



of our plant and the fruit also quite agrees. But the uppermost branchlets are 

 shown as curved and twisted like those of D. torta while those lower down are 

 figui-ed MS passing into spines like those of D. spinosa, two species that, though they 

 belong to the same section of Dalbergia, are nevertheless very different from D. 

 parviflora. None of our very numerous specimens show either hooks or spines, nor 

 have any of the field-notes that accompany the specimens a reference to spines on 

 the stem. 



In the Herbarium of the Penang Forest Department, kindly lent by Mr. Curtis, 

 there is however a specimen from Lumot in the Dindings, to which the native name 

 " Kayu Laha " is attached along with the further note, "climber; wood valuable, 

 used as incense." This specimen, from a widely remote locality, thus bears a note 

 made without reference to the controversy that has arisen regarding Kayoe lakka 

 but that entirely confirms the notes of Mr. Teysmann, who was, it may be remarked, 

 one of the most careful collectors that has ever worked in Malaya. The existence 

 of this specimen therefore re-opens the whole question, which may be commended to 

 Malayan field-botanists as one worthy of attention and solution. To judge from 

 Ramphius' account there were, in his time, three if not four species included under 

 the name Caju Lacca and of one, at least, of these he says that it had no spines, only 

 thickened nodes instead. It seems quite certain that D. parviflora must have been 

 one of the four. But whether his figure is meant to represent it or has been made 

 to include some of the characters of the others as well, can only be known when 

 all four are completely understood. 



31. Pterocarpus Linn. 



Erect trees. Leaves with alternate coriaceoas exstipellate leaflets. 

 Flowers yellowish, in copious panicled racemes ; bracts and bracteoles 

 minute, caducous ; pedicels distinctly articulated at the apex. Calyx 

 turbinate, curved before expansion, the teeth short. Petals exserted, 

 with long claws ; standard and wings crisped ; keel obtuse, the petals 

 scarcely or not at all coherent. Staminal sheath slit both above and 

 below, or above only ; the upper stamen often nearly or quite free ; 

 anthers versatile. Ovary stalked, 2-ovuled; style incurved, stigma 

 terminal. Pod orbicular, rarely other than 1 -seeded, with a broad rigid 

 wing, the point turned down to opposite the base or near it. Species 

 about 15; cosmopolitan in the Tropics. 



Leaflets finely veined throughout, pedicels slender longer 



than the calyx, beak of pod distinctly raised beyond the 



outer base ... ... ... ... ... 1. P- iiidicus. 



Leaflets with 5-7 pairs of distinctly raised veins beneath, 



pedicels stoutish shorter than the calyx, beak of pod 



hardly raised beyond the outer base ... ... 2. P. dalhergioides. 



1. Pterocarpus indicus Willd. Sp. PI. Ill, 904. A tree 30-40 

 feet high with widely spreading branches drooping at the end. Leaves 

 8-10 in. long, leaflets 5-9 moderately firm, 2— i) in. long 1-5-2 in. wide, 

 the terminal rather larger than the others, the racliis usually faintly 

 prolonged, all ovate with rounded rarely deltoid base and rounded 



123 



