Kry thrill". LEGUMINOSAE. 353 



37. Erythrina, Linn. 



Trees or rarely undershrubs, the branches, sometimes also the 

 stems, usually studded with prickles. Leaves pinnately 3-folio- 

 late ; stipules small ; stipels gland-like. Flowers large and showy, 

 scarlet or sometimes white, in dense peduncled axillary or ter- 

 minal racemes, in pairs or fascicles on the rhachis ; bracts and 

 bracteoles small or 0. Calyx oblique at the mouth, spathaceous 

 or campanula te with very short teeth. Corolla long-exsert, the 

 petals very unequal, the standard much exceeding the wings and 

 keel. Stamens 10, the vexillary filament free in the upper two- 

 thirds, sometimes altogether, the rest free above, alternately 

 longer and shorter; anthers uniform. Ovary stipitate, many- 

 ovuled; style curved, subulate at the apex, not bearded; stigma 

 capitate. Pod stipitate, falcate, turgid, torulose, dehiscing as a 

 follicle. Seeds ovoid, hilum lateral, oblong, strophiole 0. 



Calyx spathaceous, oblique, split on one side : - 



Calyx split to the base, recurved, 5-toothed at the tip ; flowers very 

 large, the standard 2-2*5 in. long, wings and keel subequal, *5-*7 in. 

 long, the keel petals free; pod 6-12 in. long, thick, torulose, 

 6-8- seeded ; prickles on branches nearly black ; leaflets broadly 



deltoid, acute, membranous 1 . indica . 



Calyx split half-way down, erect ; flowers large, the standard 

 1-1-25 in. long : 



Tip of calyx entire ; wings minute, '2 in. long, keel petals com- 

 bined, "75 in. long; pod stalked, 6-8 in. long, thin, 2-5-seeded ; 

 prickles on branches pale green ; leaflets broadly deltoid- ovate, 



abruptly acuminate, membranous 2. strict a . 



Tip of calyx minutely toothed : wings and keel about equal, 



5 in. long, the keel petals free ; stamens diadelphous ; leaflets 



broadly ovate, abruptly acuminate, subcoriaceous... 3. mysorensis. 



Calyx not spathaceous, splitting into two lips ; flowers large, standard 



1-5-2 in. long, wings minute, '25 in. long, keel petals combined, '6 in. 



long ; pod 3-6 in. long, thin, torulose, 2-5-seeded ; prickles on branches 



yello wish- white ; leaflets rhomboid ovate, entire or sinuate lobed, 



obtuse, densely tomeivtose beneath 4. suberosa. 



1. ERYTHRINA INDICA, Lam.; F. B. I. ii. 188; W. & A. 260; 

 Wt, Ic. t. 58. 



Planted in hedges and as a support for pepper, perhaps 

 wild on the E. Coast. Coral-tree. 



