Entada.] xlvii. § mimose^e (oliver). 327 



(according to Dr. K.) white in dense spikes. Legume l£-2 ft. long, 3-3$ in. broad, the 

 articles much broader than long, the epicarp separable and papery towards the replum, 

 much thickened cellular and prominently convex externally in the centre over the com- 

 pressed seed, which is about £ in. in diameter, with a distinct central areole. As the 

 remarkable thickening of the pericarp in the centre of the articles appears to afford a 

 marked specific distinction, this plant may be called E. Kirkii. 



4. E. sudanica, Schweinf. Reliq. Kotsch. 8, t. viii. A small tree or 

 shrub with terete glabrous pruinose or glaucescent extremities. Leaves 

 1 ft. long more or less, pinnse 5-8-jugate ; leaflets subsessile, 14-20- 

 jugate, oblong obtuse or obscurely emarginate, scarcely mucronulate, 

 wholly glabrous or thinly pubescent on both surfaces, J-l in. long, 

 2-4 lines broad. Spikes cylindrical, dense, usually 3 or 4 together, 

 shortly supra-axillary, erect, 2\ to nearly 6 in. long. Bracts at 

 flowering. Flowers glabrous, white or yellowish, with the short pe- 

 dicel 2-3 lines long. Calyx-teeth broadly deltoid. Stamens ex- 

 serted ; filaments confluent at base with the petals and disk. Ovary 

 glabrous. Legume straight or nearly so, 8—15 in. long, distinctly and 

 almost equally constricted on both sutures, l|-2 in. broad at the con- 

 strictions ; articles 12-15, 2-2J times broader than long, the thin 

 chartaceous endocarp at length separating ; epicarp almost nerveless 

 outside, coarsely reticulate within, especially under the central seed- 

 covering disk. Seeds elliptical, \ in. in diameter, more or less. 



Upper Guinea. Nupe, Niger, Barter I who also gathered a form with leaflets 

 1 in. long at the same locality. 



Nile Land. Gallabat, Schweinfurth ! Fesoghlu, Cienkowsky. 



Mozamb. Distr. A variety with puberulous spikes, described as a " scrambling 

 bush growing in sand," Kongone mouth of the Zambesi, Dr. Kirk! 



5. E. abyssinica, Stevd. ; Rich. Fl. Abyss, i. 234. A small widely 

 spreading tree occasionally attaining 30 ft. ; extremities terete, gla- 

 brous, sometimes glaucescent. Leaves 6-15 in. long ; pinnae 14-18- 

 jugate, rachis glabrous or pubescent on the upper surface ; leaflets 

 25-50-jugate, linear obtuse mucronulate, glabrous or at first with 

 scattered microscopic hairs, the single nerve very oblique towards the 

 base ; 3-5 lines long. Spikes erect or ascending, solitary or 3 or 4 to- 

 gether, from a little above the axil of the upper leaves or collected in 

 terminal panicles usually overtopped by the leaves ; rachis of spike 

 pubescent 3-6 in. long ; bracts at flowering. Flowers dense, gla- 

 brous or nearly so, yellowish, with the very short pedicel about 2 lines 

 long. Calyx- teeth short, broadly deltoid. Stamens distinctly ex- 

 serted ; filaments confluent at base with the petals and disk. Ovary 

 glabrous. Legume straight or but slightly curved, flat, from 6 in. to 

 a little over 1 ft. in length, 1J-2 in. broad, rarely broader; constric- 

 tion between the articles obscure, rarely very marked ; epicarp papery, 

 at length separating from the thin endocarp. Articles \ to nearly £ 

 as long as broad. Seed compressed, ovate-elliptical or roundish, nearly 

 \ in. in greatest diameter, with a broad areole. 



Nile Land. (I have not seen flowers of this plant, nor does Richard describe the 

 inflorescence.) Abyssinia, Dillon! Schimper ! 



