88 leguminoSjE. [Canavalia. 



15. CANAVALIA, DC. 



Calyx tubular-campanulate, the 2 upper lobes united in a large entire or 

 2-lobed upper lip, the 3 lower teeth very small, free or united into one. Stan- 

 dard large and broad. Wings and keel rather shorter, curved or sometimes 

 slightly twisted. Upper stamen free at the very base, united with the others 

 in the middle. Style filiform or slightly thickened in the upper part with a 

 terminal stigma. Pod oblong or linear, usually large, flattened or rarely turgid, 

 with a prominent wing or rib on each side of the upper suture. Seeds with 

 a long linear hilum. — Trailing or twining herbs. Leaflets 3, with small sti- 

 pellse. Stipules usually very small. Peduncles axillary, bearing in the upper 

 part a few 1- to 3-flowered nodes. Flowers rather large, purple, pink, or 

 white. 



A genus not numerous in species, but widely dispersed over tropical and subtropical Asia, 

 Africa, and America. 



1. C. gladiata, DC. Prod. ii. 404 ; Wight, Ic. t. 753. A large her- 

 baceous twiner, glabrous or slightly pubescent. Leaflets usually broadly 

 ovate, 3 to 5 in. long, the lateral ones very oblique. Peduncles about 6 in. 

 long or more, flowering only above the middle. Flowers shortly pedicellate, 

 purplish-red, pendulous, about an inch long. Calyx-tube 4 to 5 lines, the 

 upper lip scarcely shorter, with 2 broadly orbicular lobes, lower lip scarcely 

 ]| lines long, with 2 short lateral lobes. Standard broad, turned back on the 

 calyx. Keel curved, but obtuse. Pod generally \\ to 2 in. broad, but vary- 

 ing in length from 4 in. to near a foot, according to the variety. 



Hongkong, climbing over trees and shrubs, Hance, Seemann, Wright. Widely dispersed 

 over tropical Asia, Africa, and America, but some varieties are frequently cultivated, and the 

 specimens received as wild may often have been naturalized only. There may be some con- 

 fusion also between the wild variety known as C. virosa, or Dolichos virosus, Roxb., said to 

 have very poisonous seeds, and those cultivated under the names of C. gladiata, DC, and 

 C. ensiformis, DC. The materials and notes we possess do not as yet enable us fully to clear 

 up their history and synonymy. 



16. PHASEOLTTS, Linn. 



Calyx campanulate or nearly tubular, 5 -toothed or -lobed, rarely 4-toothed 

 by the union of the 2 upper ones. Standard orbicular, recurved or sometimes 

 slightly twisted. Keel produced at the top into a long spirally twisted beak. 

 Upper stamen free from the base. Style thickened and cartilaginous in the 

 upper part, usually bearded longitudinally under the stigma, which is more or 

 less oblique or lateral. Pod linear, and nearly cylindrical, or more or less 

 flattened and falcate, with several seeds. — Herbs, either dwarf or prostrate, or 

 more frequently twining. Leaflets 3, rarely reduced to one, stipellate. Pe- 

 duncles axillary, bearing in their upper part several 2- or 3-flowered nodes. 

 Corollas glabrous, white, yellowish, red, or purple. 



A large genus, widely dispersed over the tropical regions of Asia, Africa, and more espe- 

 cially America. Several species from very long cultivation have established races, the wild 

 origin of which it is now difficult to trace. 



1. P. minimus, Roxb. Fl. Ind. iii. 291. A rather slender twiner, gla- 

 brous or sparingly hairy. Leaflets 3, ovate-lanceolate or lanceolate, 2 to 3 in. 



