138 Materials for a Flora of the Malayan Fenins7ila. • 



nisty-pubernlous angular young branches. Leaves 5-7 in. long, 3- 

 foliolate, petiole 1 in. long, channelled above, rustj-puberulons ; leaflets 

 coriaceous rugose, puberulous on the midrib and nerves above, densely 

 rusty-puberulous beneath on the midrib lateral nerves and secondary 

 veins ; obovate-acute, terminal 4 in. long 2-5 in. Avide, on a petiolule 

 •5 in. long ; lateral pair oblong-acute base obliquely rounded, 3*5 in. 

 long 1-75-2 in. wide, on petiolules "15 in. long; lateral nerves 10-] 2 

 pairs very prominent beneath as is the close reticulate secondary vena- 

 tion ; stipels subulate, "12 in., nearly as long as petiolules ; stipules 

 subscarious caducous. Inflorescence axillary, with peduncles "25 in. 

 long, in 3-6-fld. corymbs simulating umbels but with the rachis pro- 

 duced for '3 in. or more in the centre and marked by numerous close- 

 set scars left by fallen pedicels ; pedicels that persist '2 in. long, 

 elongatin'g sliglitly in fruit. Calyx with a broad scarious deciduous 

 bracteole *! in. long at its base, pubescent externally, '2 in. long, teeth 

 longer than tube. Corolla "5 in. long, white. Fad 1'5 in. long, joints 

 4, '3 in. long "25 in. wide, densely adpressed-pubescent with coarse 

 rusty hairs, thick, coriaceous, almost turgid. 



Kedah ; Langkawi, Curtis 2550 ! Distrib. Tenasserim. 



Yery nearly related to the preceding species bat with quite different foliage and 

 pods. Yery nearly related also to D. Wallichii (D. iirnhellatum Wall. Cat. n. 5687 

 letter B only) from Upper Burma, but with larger pods, and coarser, more rugose 

 acute leaves than in that species; indeed, D. Wallichii with the inflorescence of 

 D. rugosum has foliage more resembling that of D. iimlellatum. The stipules of D. 

 Wallichii do not fall immediately after the unfolding of the leaf next above, as in the 

 case of D. iirnhellatum and I), rugosum. 



Desmodium (Dendrolobium ) Cephalotes Wall, is stated by Dr. Miquel 

 to occur in Java. No Malayan specimens of the species, which is very 

 common throughout India and Indo-China, have yet reached Calcutta. 

 Its presence, however, would not be surprising and the species should be 

 looked for by collectors in the Malay Peninsula. 



SuBGEN. 4. EuDESMODiUM. Erect herbs or undershruhs with large 

 1-3-foliolate leaves. Flowers often 2 or several from a node in long 

 racemes simple or panicled, bracts deciduous and pods distinctly jointed. 



§ PoDOCARPiUM Bth. Joints of pod indehiscent, longer than broad, 

 the lowest one distinctly stalked, constrictions reaching from lower 

 nearly to straight upper suture. 



6. Desmodium laxum DC. Prodr. II, 336. A bush 2-4 feet high 

 ■with angular erect finely-puberulous branches. Leaves 5-8 in. long, 3- 

 foliolate, petiole 1-2*5 in., channelled above, finely sparsely puberulous ; 

 leaflets membranous, green and glabrous above, paler and sparsely hir- 

 sute on the nerves beneath, terminal narrow ovate, 4-6 in. long lo-2 in. 

 wide, narrowed gradually to apex, cuneate at base on a petiolule 'lb in. 



138 



