Abrus.'] LEGUMINOSAE. 349 



LATHYRUS APHACA. Linn, has been found as a weed in the 

 Nilgiris. 



PISUM SATIVUM, Linn. ''Pea," and PISUM ARVENSE, Linn. 

 " Field Pea." are found in cultivation. 



CICER ARIETINUM, Linn. " Gram." Vern. Hind. Ghana, some- 

 times cultivated. 



32. Abrus, L. 



Climbing shrubs. Leaves abruptly pinnate with many pairs of 

 leaflets, the rhachis ending in a bristle ; stipules subscarioua, 

 deciduous ; stipels minute. Flowers in fascicles in dense 

 thickened racemes on axillary peduncles or short branches ; 

 bracts small, deciduous ; bracteoles under the calyx 2, deciduous. 

 Calyx-tube small, campanulate, truncate, the teeth very short. 

 Corolla much exserted ; standard broadly ovate, narrowed into a 

 short claw, slightly adherent to the staminal tube ; wings narrow, 

 oblong -falcate ; keel curved. Stamens 9, in a sheath, the vexil- 

 lary one absent, anthers uniform. Ovary subsessile, many- 

 ovuled ; style short, incurved, not bearded ; stigma capitate. 

 Pod oblong or linear, more or less compressed, thinly septate 

 between the seeds, early dehiscent. Seeds globose or compressed,, 

 hilum near the top. 



Leaflets large, ligulate-oblong : 



Leaflets up to '75 in. long, '25 in. broad ; pod thick, 1-1-5 in. long,. 



*o in. broad, wrinkled ; seeds rounded, hard, scarlet or white with a 



) >lack spot or white only 1. precatorius. 



Leaflets up to 15 in. long, *5 in. broad ; pod thin, flat, 2-2*5 in. 



long, '5 in. broad, smooth; seeds compressed, black ...2. pulchellus. 

 Leaflets very small, linear-ligulate, about '25 in. long, vmder '1 in. 

 broad ; pod compressed, linear-oblong, 1-1'25 in. long, '3 in. broad ; 

 seeds rounded 3. fruticulosus. 



1. ABRUS PRECATORIUS, Linn. ; F. B. I. ii. 175 ; W. & A. 236. 



Most Districts, in hedges and among bushes, on open 



lands. 



A rather conspicuous wiry climber with pink flowers and 



usually scarlet seeds with a black end. They are very 



hard, used for jeweller's weights and for necklaces and 



other ornaments. Vern. Hind. Gunchi, Rakti ; Ur. 



Kaincho ; Tarn. Kimtumaiii; MaL Kunni. 



