Neptunia 



LEGUMINOS^E 



131 



Desmanthus punctatus Willd. Sp. PI. iv. 1047 (1806). A speci- 

 men named by Linnaeus (M. plena), and another from Browne 

 named by Linnseus M. imnctata, are in Herb. Linn. 



Sixteen Mile Walk, Sloane Herb. vi. 47, 48 ! Browne ! Wiillschlaegel ; 

 Pond, Old Hope, Westmoreland, Harrisl Fl. Jam. 11, 82G.— Bahamas, 

 West Indies, tropical continental America, also tropical Asia, but probably 

 introduced (Bentham). 



Very like N. oleracea Lour, and perhaps not separable as a distinct 

 species. Both Grisebach and Bentham treat them as distinct, relying on 

 the following characters for N. plena : Pinnse, 3-5 pairs ; rhachis bearing a 

 sessile gland just below the lowest pair of leaflets. Leaflets 12-40 pairs. 

 Pod larger (to 5 cm. 1.), more erect. Seeds 5-20. Plant more terrestrial. 



§ 19. Parts of the flower in 5's or 4's. Stamens as many 

 as, or twice as many as, the petals ; anthers without 

 glands. Pollen granules numerous, distinct. 



small ; a 

 Stiuples 



41. DESMANTHUS Willd. 



Perennial herbs or undershrubs. Leaflets very 

 sessile cup-shaped gland just below the lowest pair, 

 bristle-like, persistent. Flower- 

 heads on solitary axillary stalks. 

 -Floral parts in 5's. Calyx cam- 

 panulate, toothed. Petals free 

 or slightly cohering. Stamens 

 10 (rarely 5), free, exserted. 

 Pod linear, flat-compressed, 2- 

 valved. 



Species 8 or 9, natives of 

 North and South Ainerica and 

 West Indies, one (D. virgatus) 

 widely dispersed throughout 

 tropical and subtropical regions. 



D. virgatus Willd. Sp. PI. 

 iv. 1047 (1806) ; Griseb. FL Br. 

 W. Ind. 218; Benth. in Fl. 

 Bras. XV. pt. 2, 293, t. 79 & in 

 Trans. Linn. Soc. xxv. 385 ; Urb. 

 Symb. Ant. iv. 268. D. de- 

 pressus Humb. & Bonpl. ex 

 Willd. Sp. PI. iv. 1046 (1806); 

 Kunth 31imos. 115, t. 35 (1822) ; 

 Benth. loc. cit. D. strictus 

 Bertol. in Giorn. Arcad. xxi. 190 

 (1824); DC. Prodr. ii. 445; Mac/. Jam. i. 310. D. pratorum 

 Mac/. Jam. i. 311 (1837). Mimosa americana pigra &c. Pluk. 



K 2 



. il.— Desmanthus virgatus Willd. 



A, Flower x 6. 



B, Peduncle and ripe pods x I- 



C, Seed much enlarged. 

 (A, C after Fl. Bras.) 



