Abrus.] xlvii. § papilionaceje (baker). 175 



1. A. precatorius, Linn. ; DC. Prod. ii. 381. A shrub with slender 

 woody wide-climbing" branches. Stipules setaceous, deciduous. Leaves 

 short- stalked ; rachis 2-3 in. long ; leaflets subsessile, deciduous, in 

 10-15 pairs, oblong or obovate, blunt, ^-| in. long, glabrous, or the 

 lower side slightly silky. Racemes axillary and terminal, dense, stalked, 

 2-3 in. long. Pedicels shorter than the campanulate calyx, which is 

 thinly silky, the teeth very short, subdeltoid. Corolla f in. deep, red- 

 dish. Pod 1-1 J in. long, J in. broad, oblong, rostrate, subcoriaceous, 

 papillose, glabrous when mature. Seeds 4-5. — Guill. et Perr. Fl. Seneg- 

 212. Harv. Fl. Cap. ii. 263. 



Upper Guinea. Senegambia, Perrottet. Sierra Leone, Dr. Kirk! Dr. Wei- 

 witsch! Fernando Po, Mann! Guinea proper, Mann! 



Lower Guinea. Loanda and Golungo Alto, Dr. Welwitsch ! 



Mozamb. Distr. Zambesi land, Dr. Kirk I 



Widely distributed through the tropics, but often planted. 



2. A. pulchellus, Wall., Thm. Enum, PI. Zeyl. 91. A shrub with 

 slender wide-climbing woody branches sometimes 20 ft. long. Stipules 

 small, rigid, deciduous. Leaves nearly sessile; rachis 2-3 in. long ; 

 leaflets in 5-10 pairs, oblong or obovate, f-l£ in. long, both ends 

 rounded, glabrous or finely silky. Racemes 2-3 in. long, lax, leafy 

 below. Calyx a line long, glabrous or thinly silky, subtruncate, equal- 

 ling the pedicel. Corolla pale purple, half an inch deep. Pod 2 in. 

 long, \ in. broad, linear, slightly recurved, the valves membranous, 

 not papillose, finely silky when young. Seeds 7-9. — A. acutifolius, 

 Blume. A. melanosperma, Hassk. A. Icevigatus, E. Meyer, Comm. 263. 

 Harv. Fl. Cap, 263. 



Upper Guinea. Senegambia, Heudelot ! Sierra Leone, Afzelius ! Onitsha and 

 Jeba, on the Quorra, Barter! 



An East Indian and Malayan species, and extending southward to Natal and Kaf- 

 fraria. 



3. A, Schimperi, Hochst. in Schimp. Hb. Abyss. No. 1552. A shrub 

 with slender woody branches, slightly silky upwards. Stipules small, 

 setaceous, deciduous. Leaves short-stalked ; rachis 4—6 in. long \ leaf- 

 lets in 12-15 pairs, oblong or obovate, f-1 in. long, blunt, mucronate, 

 both sides glabrous. Racemes lax, 3—4 in. long, extending in our 

 specimens down amongst the leaves. Pedicel a line long, densely 

 tawny-silky. Calyx \ in. deep, truncate, thinly brown-silky. Corolla 

 \ in. deep, reddish. Pod 2-2£ in. long, f in. broad, 7-9-seeded, the 

 valves thinner than in A. precatorius, glabrous, slightly papillose. Seeds 

 oblong, dark brown. 



Nile Land. Abyssinia, Schimperi Madi, Speke and Or ant ! Nubia, Ronga, 

 Binder {fide Kotschy). 



4. A, canescens, Welw. mss. A wide-climbing shrub with densely 

 finely grey-downy branches. Stipules deciduous. Leaves subsessile ; 

 rachis 2^-3 in. long; leaflets 12-14, oblong-lanceolate, ^-§ in. long, 

 subcordate at the base, blunt with a distinct mucro, inconspicuously 

 downy above, grey-green and more pubescent beneath. Racemes ter- 



