Pterolobium.'} LEGUMINOSAE. 395 



61. Mezoneurum, Desf. 



Prickly woody climbing shrubs. Leaves abruptly bi pinnate ; 

 pinnae abruptly pinnate ; leaflets small and numerous or large 

 and few ; stipules small or ; stipels 0. Flowers in axillary or 

 terminal panicles of racemes; bracts narrow, usually deciduous ; 

 liracteoles 0. Calyx very oblique, the tube short ; lobes imbricate; 

 the lowest longest and hood-like. Petals 5, 4 orbicular, spreading, 

 subequal, the uppermost different. Stamens 10, free, exserted ; 

 anthers uniform. Ovary sessile or shortly stalked, 2-many- 

 ovuled ; style filiform ; stigma small, capitate. Pod oblong, flat, 

 thin, indehiscent, broadly winged along the upper suture. Seeds 

 transverse, compressed, orbicular or reniform. 



MEZONEURUM CUCULLATUM, W. & A. 283; F. B. I. ii. 258; 

 var. grandis. Baker in F. B. I. ii. 2-">s. 



Malabar and Travancore, in forests up to 2,000 ft. 

 A large climbing shrub, the steins with conical corky protu- 

 berances bearing a pair of hooked thorns; the upper petal 

 short and wide, 2-lobed ; the leaflets 3-4 in. long. 



62. Pterolobium, R. Br. 



Trees or climbing shrubs, armed with recurved thorns. Leaves 

 bipinnate, the leaflets small ; stipules and stipels small, caducous. 

 Flou:ers small, in axillary or terminal racemes, long-pedicellate ; 

 bracts subulate, caducous ; bracteoles 0. Calyx-tube short, cup- 

 shaped, persistent ; lobes 5, imbricate, the lowest longest. Petals 

 5, unequal, clawed, as long as the calyx-lobes. Stamens 10, free, 

 the filaments villous ; anthers uniform. Ovary sessile, 1-ovuled ; 

 style subulate; stigma terminal, dilated. Pod indehiscent; 

 Bamaroid, 1-seeded, ending in an oblong* or falcate wing. Seed 

 large, compressed. 



PTEROLOBIUM INDICUM, A. Rich. ; F. B. I. ii. 259. P. laceram, 



Wall; W. & A. 283; \Vt. Ic. t. 196. 



All dry forest Districts from the Godavari southwards to 

 the lower Pulneys. Common in open places over bushes 

 and small trees. 



A very thorny straggling or climbing shrub with yellow 

 flowers and reddish winged pod. Yern. Tel. Walekaduda. 



