V. 



PLANT^ WRIGHTIANjE. 



57 



V 



thickened, and the apex remains blunt after the falling of tlie styl 



species, with H. trifoliat 



These 



and Toy 



(Port Desire, Middleton !), difFering in its foliage, 

 also H. gracilis, Hook 8r Arn. (Chili, Cuding, No. 880 !) and H. prostrata, Lan. 

 (Lima, Cumin^, No. 1069 !), in both of which the petals are scarccly ghindular, and 

 the claw of the vexillum long and narrow, would form the section Hoffmanscggia 

 proper. H. viscosa, HooTc, 8^ Arn. (W. Colombia, Cuming, No. 1175! 

 Gaudichaud), may also be referred to the same section, although the claws of the 

 petals are shorter and the pod less marginate and more readily dehiscent. The H. 

 glandulosa, Vog., from South America, which I have not seen, mustbe very near H. 



viscosa, but with a very long glandular raceme If we consider the section 



Pomaria as characterized by the neaiiy sessile petals, only differing from each oth- 



they 



the vexillum being rather broader, all with few 



they are generally dorsal on the vexillum) 



stipitate glands (where 

 may subdivide 



three or four distinct groups. The first (§ Gladiatce), including H. gladiata * and 

 H. platycarpa, f Herh. Coll. Trin. Dubl, with the habit and foliage of H. stricta, 

 without black dots on the leaves, has the flowers nearly as in 

 a straight or slightly curved pod, blunt at the apex, with the 



H. Drummondii. and 



ture more or less 



4 



and usually broadest below the middle. The second 



group (§ Lunatce) would include H. oxycarpa, Drummondii, and caudata 



a 



variable habit, the leaflets without black dots, and the pod broadly falcate, very sharp 

 by the persistent base of the style, more readily dehiscent than in any of the pre- 

 ceding, with the seminal suture straight or concave. The third group ( 



ined any 



Mela- 



tictce), with the under side of the leaves sprinkled with black glandular dots, and 



the pod nearly that of the Limatce, is less known to me, as I have not myself exam^ 



. It would comprehend the H. melanosticta and H. Jamesii, if the 

 two are not one species. Pomaria humilis, Mart. Sf Gal, is probably allied to H. 

 platycarpa, and P. glandulosa, Cav., to H. melanosticta ; but both are unknown to 



but a very imperfect speci- 



and still worse 



me 



Of De CandoIIe's genus Melanosticta I have 



men of 



with a pod shaped like that of a Caesalp 



specimens without flower or fruit of what appears to be a second African species. 

 Until they can be examined from better specimens, it cannot be determined whether 



they are or are not generically distinct from Hoflmanseg 



Benth 



My 



H. brachycarpa, which, having just reached me from the discoverer, has not yet been 



by Mr. Bentham, would seem to be ambiguous between the 



Gladiatce 



and 3Ielanosti 



pproaching the former in the shape of the pod, but belon 



rather to the latter on account of the persistent style and the black g 



■face of 



I have still to add another 



ely 



whichj with the sessile petals of a Pomaria, has the thin, tardily dehiscent and many- 

 seeded legume of Hoffmanseggia proper, yiz. ; 



" H. GLADIATA : stipulis ovato-acutis ; pinnis 3 - 6-jugls cum impari ; foliolis oblongis enervibus eglan- 

 dulosis ; calycibus acutishirsutisglandulosisque ; petalis oblongis brevissime stipitatis ; legumine lanceolato 

 subincurvo hirtello et parce glanduloso. (Zimapan, Mexico, Coulter.) " BentL in litt, 



t " H. PLATVCARPA-: stipuHs ovato-acutis ; pinnis 4-6-jugis cum impari; foliolis oblongis enervibus 

 eglandulosis; calycibus acutis hirtis glandulosisque ; petalis ovatis vix stipitatis ; legumine late oblongo pu- 

 bescente vix glanduloso. (Mexico, Coulter.y* Benth. in litt. 



«kt 



* 



♦ 



