126 FLOKA OF JAMAICA Entada 



Massonl St. George, McNab\ Priori J.P. 979, Hart\ Port Antonio, 

 Hitchcock; G&stleion, Thompson, i also Harris \ PL Jam. 7251. — Hispaniola, 

 Guadeloupe, St. Vincent, tropical continental America, subtropical S. Africa, 

 tropical Africa, Australia, Polynesia, and Asia. 



Stem climbing along the tops of shrubs or high trees, often 100-150 ft. 

 long, and covering acres of woodland. Pinnvg in 2 (or 1) pairs ; leaflets in 

 4 or 5 (2-)pairs, obliquely oblong-elliptical, blunt or emarginate, slightly 

 curved inwards, sides unequal, 2-^ cm. 1. ; stipules awl-shaped, adpressed, 

 about '5 cm. 1. Spikes usually solitary (sometimes 2), longer than the 

 leaves, springing from a point about "5 cm. above the axil, with tufted 

 glands between the a:xil and the insertion, occasionally ending in a tendril 

 (Macfadyen) ; flowers numerous, small, crowded. Bracteoles persistent, 

 1-1 • 5 mm. 1. Calyx about 1 • 5 mm. 1. Petals 5, oblong, greenish-yellow 

 or green, 3-4 mm. 1. Stamens 10, twice as long as the petals, twisted ; 

 anthers sometimes bearing a minute stalked gland. Pistil sometimes 

 abortive. Pod very large, 1-2 m. 1., 1 dm. or more br., twisted in various 

 directions, 10-12-seeded. Seeds roundish-compressed, 5 cm. in diam. ; 

 cotyledons separated by a large median air-space which reduces the specific 

 gravity of the seed and so enables it to float. 



The seeds are found cast up by the sea, not only on the Palisadoes in 

 Jamaica, but also on the shores of north-west Europe ; there are specimens 

 in Sloane's fruit collection of seeds cast up in the Hebrides and Orkney Is. 



39. PIPTADENIA Benth. 



Trees or shrubs, without spines or prickles (in P. peregrina). 

 Leaflets small, in numerous pairs ; glands on the petiole and 

 between the terminal pinnie. Flowers in globular heads (in 

 P. peregrina) ; peduncles axillary, solitary or clustered, becoming 

 paniculate at the ends of the branches. Parts of the flowers 

 sometimes in 4's. Calyx campanulate, toothed. Petals united 

 to about the middle. Stamens exserted. Pod broadly flat, 

 2-valved, continuous within. 



Species 38, mostly natives of tropical America, a few in 

 tropical Africa. 



P. peregrina Benth. in Hooh. Journ. Bot. iv. 340 (1842) (in 

 part), in Fl. Bras. xv. jpt. 2, 282 & in Trans. Linn. Sac. xxx. 373, 

 647 ; Urh. Symh. Ant. iv. 269. Mimosa peregrina L. Sp. PI. 

 520 (1753). Acacia peregrina Willd. Sp. PI. iv. 1073 (1806). 

 A. angustiloba DC Prodr. ii. 470 (1825). A. trichophylloides 

 Macf. Jam. i. 320 (1837). (Fig. 39.) 



Bastard Tamarind. 



*' Fl. May, June, common Port Royal Mts.," Macfadyen. — Hispaniola, 

 Porto Rico, Dominica, St. Vincent, Trinidad, tropical and subtropical 

 S. America. 



Shrub or tree, 10-40 ft. high. Leaves 1-5-2 dm. 1. ; pinnae in 10-13 

 pairs, 3*5-5 cm. 1. ; leaflets in 35-40 pairs, linear, unequal-sided, especially 

 at the base, 2-4 mm. 1. Peduncles generally 4 in a cluster, 3-4 cm. 1. 

 Flowers white ; heads with stamens about 1 • 5 cm. in diam. Calyx 2 mm. 1., 

 puberulous on the outside. Corolla 3 mm. 1., puberulous on the outside. 

 Stamens more than twice as long as the corolla. Pod 1-2 dm. L, 1*5-2 -5 



