MucunaJ] L. LEGUMINOS^. (J. G. Baker.) 187 



racemes, "bracts crate extending to the peduncle, pod glabrescent at first covered 

 with short grey velvety tonientum without longitudinal furrows. Kurz in Journ. 

 Asiot. Soc. Seng. xlii. 2, 231. Oarpopogon bracteatum, Eoxb. Hort, Beny. 54. 



EAST HIMALAYAS, tropical zone ; ASSAM, Masters. KHASIA, Griffith, Hook. fll. $ 

 Thomson. CHITTAGONG, Roxburgh. AVA, PEGU and MARTABAN. Kurz. 



Closely allied to M. pruriens, with which it quite agrees in calyx, corolla and 

 shape and texture of leaflets. Leaves grey, with only a few obscure adpressed hairs 

 below. Eachis of the racemes densely grey-pubescent; bracts broader and more per- 

 sistent than in the rest of the group, those of the peduncle acuminate, JT- in. long. 

 Pod 3-4 in. long, similar in texture to that of M. pruriens and similarly abruptly re- 

 curved at the end. 



7. XIX. birsuta, W. fy A. Prodr. 254 ; annual, "branches and leaves below 

 densely silky, flowers purple in long racemes, bracts small ovate or lanceolate, 

 pod ribbed longitudinally clothed with yellow-brown irritating bristles. 



Plains of WESTERN PENINSULA. 



Branches slender, densely clothed with short fine deflexed ferruginous or grey 

 hairs. Leaflets ovate.-rhomboid, obtuse, with a cusp, membranous, thinly silky above, 

 densely grey-silky beneath, ferruginous on the veins, 4-6 in. long. Racemes short- 

 peduncled, -f ft. long, with a densely silky rachis. Calyx and corolla as in M. 

 pruriens. Pod 3-4 in. long, reflexed at the end, 5-6-seeded. 

 i 



8. XK. pruriens, DC. Prodr. ii. 405 ; annual, branches with a few ad- 

 pressed hairs, leaves grey-silky beneath, flowers in elongated racemes, bracts small 

 lanceolate, pod ribbed longitudinally clothed with grey rarely ferruginous weak 

 irritating bristles. Wall. Cat. 5616 ; Wight in Hook. Sot. Misc. 2, Suppl. t. 

 3 3. Carpopogon pruriens, Itoxb. Hort. Benq. 34 ; Fl. 2nd. iii. 283. Dolichos 

 pruriens, Linn. Sp. 1020. M. prurita, Hook. Bot. Misc. ii. 348 ; W. $ A. Prodr. 

 255 ; Dalz. $ Gibs. 'Bomb. FL 70. M. utilis, Wall. ; Wigfy Ic. t. 280. 



From the HIMALAYAS, in the plains, to CEYLON and BIRMA. DISTRIB. Cosmopoli- 

 tan in the tropics. Often cultivated, as are the two following. 



An annual, with slender terete branches, glabrescent when mature. Leaflets 

 membranous, ovate-rhomboid, green, glabrescent above, lustrous with fine grey silky 

 pubescence beneath, -f ft. long. Eacemes short-peduncred, drooping, ^-1 ft. long, the 

 axis finely grey-silky ; pedicels ^-% in. Calyx in. long, with a few irritating bristles ; 

 upper lip and lanceolate teeth as long as the tube. Corolla purplish, lj-1^ in. long ; 

 wings \ in. broad, rather shorter than the slightly incurved keel. Pod 2-3 in. long, 

 5-6-seeded, turgid, clothed with dense persistent bristles which are usually pale 

 brown or steel-grey. M. iitilis, Wall, is a cultivated variety with a velvety pod. 

 A variety occurs in Ceylon with short usually two-flowered peduncles. An allied 

 plant from ASSAM, Masters, known in bud only, has closer laxer pubescence and 

 large linear-setaceous bracts. 



9. BX. capitata, W. fy A. Prodr. 255 ; annual, stem and under surface of 

 the leaves glabrescent, flowers in short-peduncled few-flowered corymbs, bracts 

 small lanceolate setaceous, pod shortly velvety glabrescent ribbed longitudinally. 

 Garpopogon capitatum, Roxb. FL Ind. iii. 284. M. velutina, Hassk. Hort. 

 Bogor. 277. 



Foot of the WESTERN and EASTERN HIMALAYAS. DISTRIB. Java. 



Closely allied to M. pruriens, of which it may be a cultivated race. Leaflets 

 the same texture and shape, but with only a few adpressed hairs, not silky below. 

 Corymbs with 5-6 flowers, on short ascending peduncles. Calyx and corolla the 

 same. Pod larger, 5-6 in. long, similarly turned up at the end, but the bristles much 

 shorter and deciduous. 



