252 Materials for a Flora of the Malayan Penmsiila. 



forming continuous septa between the seeds; the sutures thickened. 

 Species 5 or 6, all American ; one introduced and now becoming sub- 

 spontaneous in S.-E. Asia. 



Enterolobium Saman Prain. A large spreading tree 40-60 feet high, 

 stem 3 feet or more thick, branches pubescent. Leaves evenly 2-pinnate, 

 raclus4-6 in. long, pubescent, basal gland none but with glands between 

 the bases of each pair of pinnae, single in the upper, paired in the lower 

 half of the rachis ; i)innj© 1-6- jugate, 2-3 in. long, rachises pubescent 

 Avith glands between each pair of leaflets ; leaflets decreasing down- 

 Avai-ds, 6-8-jugate in the upper, 3-5-jugate in the lower pinnss, ovate- 

 oblong rigidly coriaceous, glabrous above, densely pubescent beneath, 

 apex obtuse, base obliquely truncate, main-nerve diagonal, terminal 1'5 

 in. long, "8 in. wide; stipules small lanceolate, densly pubescent, 

 deciduous. Flowers iu dense heads 1'25 in. across, on pubescent pedicels 

 2o in. long, solitary or 2-3 together in tlie axils of tlie upper leaves, 

 each witli a lanceolate pubescent biact "15 in. long and a slender puberu- 

 lous pedicel *05 in. long. Calyx infundibuliform, densely pubescent ex- 

 ternallj^ "15 in. long, teeth -wide-triangular, short. Corolla pinkish, infun- 

 dibuliform, '3 in. long, tube puberulous outside, teeth ovate, externally 

 pubescent, half as long as tube. Filaments pink, 1'25 iu. long, connate at 

 base in a tube one-third as long as that of corolla. Pod straight, 6-7 in. 

 long, 6 in. wide, 35 in. thick, valves slightly depressed between the 

 seeds, sutures thickened, epicarp thinly crustaceous, mesocarp pulpy, 

 endocarp firmly crustaceous and forming continous septa between the 

 seeds. Seeds 16-20, transversely ovate, '-l in. long, '25 in. wide, "2 in. 

 thick, testa smooth brown shining with distinct duller darker-brown 

 ovate areola, without arillus. Inga Saman Willd. Sp. PI. IV, 1021. 

 Pithecolohium Saman Benth. Hook. Lond. Journ. Bot. Ill, 216. Cal- 

 liandra Saman Griseb. Fl. W. Ind. 22.5. The Rain Tree. 



Planted in many of the provinces and now appearing subspon- 

 taneously, at least in the Andamans and Nicobars. A native of Guiana ; 

 introduced in the West Indies whence it has been sent to Asia. 



This species, though of much more recent introduction than Pithecolohium dulce, 

 is also of some economic importance, owing to its rapidity of growth and the 

 readiness with which it thrives, as compared with most native species, when used 

 in the re -niiore station of abandoned clearings. The sweet pulpy pods, of which it 

 produces an abundant crop, are greedily eaten by cattle. 



When Mr. Bentham tentatively placed the species in Fithecoldbixim he explained 

 that the tree was unknown to him. Dr. Grisebach, who had tlie advantage of study- 

 ing the tree in the living state, at once recognised that it cannot possibly be a 

 Pithecolohium and placed it in Calliandra, no doubt owing to the sutures of its pods 

 being thickened as in that genus. That the i^ods are septate and indehiscent mili- 

 iatea how^ever against his proposal, for the crucial test of a Calliandra is that its pods, 

 which may not be septate, shall dehisce elasticully froui apex to base. The Index 



252 



