Besmodium LEGUMINOS^E 35 



from the lower axils or from axils at rooting nodes ; upper 

 margin of pod slightly notched; joints 2 (or 1), semiorbicular, 

 7-9 mm. 1. — Benth. torn. cit. 99 ; Griseh. loc. cit. ; TJrh. torn. cit. 

 291. D. oblongifoljum DC. torn. cit. 332 (1825). D. radicans 

 Macf. Jam. i. 269 (1837). Hedysarum triphyllum majus repens 

 scapis &c. Browne Hist. Jam. 301. H. axillare Sw. Prodr. 

 107 (1788) & Fl. Ind. Occ. 1274. Meibomia umbrosa Britton, 

 Torr. Bot. CI. Bull xxxvii. 353 (1910). Type in Herb. Mus. Brit. 



In fl. summer months after rain ; Shakspear ! St. Andrew Mts., Mac- 

 fadyen ; Distin I WuUschlaegel ; March ; Moneague, Prior 1 Claverty 

 Cottage, J.P. 1430, Hart\ Scott's Hall, 600 ft.; Castleton Hill, 1000 ft. ; 

 Thompson ! Hope grounds ; Bethlehem St. Elizabeth ; T. Harris ! Bog 

 Walk, Port Antonio, Hitchcock ; Troy, Britton 444 ; near Newport, Britton 

 3209. Fl. Jam. 6750, 8029, 8290.— West Indies, Costa Rica, Venezuela, 

 Colombia, Guiana, Brazil, Peru, Chile. 



Stem 1-lJ ft. Leaflets elliptical, lanceolate, rhomboid or roundish, 

 generally glabrate on upper surface, sometimes puberulous on central 

 nerve, pubescent and markedly net-veined beneath, 8-8 cm. 1. ; stipules as 

 in D. intortum. Racemes 3-4 dm. 1. Bracts very caducous, 4 mm. 1. 

 Calyx 2 mm. 1. Corolla about 4 mm. 1., purple-crimson; standard with 

 two yellow spots near the base. Pod puberulous with minute hooked 

 hairs, lower margin indented nearly to upper margin. 



Meibomia umbrosa Britton appears to be identical with var. acutifolium 

 Urb., but an examination of a series of specimens shows that the characters 

 given as diagnostic, namely, acute leaflets and villose stem, are not 

 constant. 



[D. eajanifolium DC. Prodr. it. 331 (1825) ; erect puberulous 

 shrub ; leaflets 3 ; flowers in many-flowered panicles ; upper 

 margin of pod slightly notched ; joints 6 (8-5) roundish-elliptical, 

 4-6 mm. 1. — Benth. torn. cit. 100 ; Griseb. loc. cit. Hedysarum 

 eajanifolium H. B. & K. Nov. Gen. & Sp. vi. 525, t. 598 (1824). 

 Meibomia cajanifolia Kuntze torn. cit. 195 (1891). 



Wilson\ — St. Vincent, Trinidad, Central America, Colombia, Guiana, 

 Bolivia, Peru. Grisebach says, " naturalized in Jamaica," but we have 

 seen no specimen except Wilson's. 



Shrub 8-10 ft. high. Leaflets oblong, narrowly elliptical to ovate, 

 glaucous-pubescent beneath, 3-9 cm. 1. Calyx 3 mm. 1. Corolla blue, 

 8-9 mm. 1. Pod straight or slightly curved, puberulous, lower margin 

 indentied nearly to upper margin.] 



[D. gangetieum DC. Prodr. ii. 327 (1825) ; stem suberect; 

 leaflet 1 ; flowers in lax racemes, sometimes paniculate ; upper 

 margin of pod slightly notched ; joints 8-5, almost orbicular, 

 2 mm. 1. — Wight Ic. t. 271 ; Griseh. loc. cit. ; Bah. in Hook. f. Fl. 

 Br. Ind. ii. 168. Hedysarum gangeticum L. Sp. PI. 746 (1753). 

 Meibomia gangetica Kuntze torn. cit. 196 (1891). Type in Herb. 

 Linn, 



Naturalized; Wilson \ Hope grounds, JETarrisl Bath, Sanis d Britton I 

 Fl. Jam. 6775, 8126, 10,568, 12,137.— India, Malay isles, Philippines, China, 

 tropical Africa. 



Stem suberect, 1-4 ft. high, woody, pubescent. Leaflet elliptical, 



D 2 



