416 FLORA OF MADRAS. [Neptunia. 



pinnate ; leaflets many, small, sensitive ; stipules persistent ; 

 stipels 0. Flowers small, sessile, in oblong or globose peduncled 

 axillary heads ; upper flowers , lower $ , lowest neuter with 

 flattened staminodes ; bracts minute. Calyx campaiiulate, small, 

 5-toothed. Petals 5, valvate, free or connate at the base. Stamens 

 in and ^ flowers 10, free, exserted ; filaments slender ; anthers 

 gland-crested ; staminodes in neuter flowers flattened. Ovary 

 stalked, many-ovuled ; style filiform ; stigma minute, terminal, 

 concave. Pod flat, membranous, oblong, 2-valved. Seeds trans- 

 verse, compressed ; with a filiform funicle. 



A floating water-plant ; leaves with 2-3 pairs of pinnae each with 

 8-15 pairs of leaflets, no gland on the rhachis ; flower heads oblong, 

 '5 in. long* ; pods '5-1 in. long, '3-'5 in. broad, obtuse, cuspidate 



1. oleracea. 



Land undershrubs ; rhachis with a gland between the lowest pair of 

 pinnae : 



Erect and moderately stout ; leaves with 3-5 pairs of pinnae each 

 with 10-30 pairs of leaflets ; flower heads oblong, '5 in. long ; 



pods 1-2 in. long, '3 in. broad, obtuse, apiculate plena. 



Prostrate, diffuse and slender ; leaves with 1-3 pairs of pinnae each 

 with about 15 pairs of leaflets : flower heads globose, '2 in. in diam. ; 

 pods '5-1 in. long, '25 in. broad, subacute 2. triquetra. 



1. NEPTUNIA OLERACEA, Lour. ; F. B. I. ii. 285. Mimosa 

 natans, Roxb. Cor. PL t. 119. Desmanthus natans, W. & A. 

 270. 



Circars and Carnatic, in ponds and tanks of fresh water. 

 An annual water-plant, the branches zig-zag, bearing radical 

 fibres at the nodes and spongy floats on the iiiternodes. 

 Yern. Tel. Niru tavulupu, Nidra yung. 



2. NEPTUNIA TRIQUETRA, Benth. ; F. B. I. ii. 286. Desmanthus 

 triquetrus, W. & A. 270; Wt. Ic. t. 756. 



Circars, Deccan and Carnatic, in most Districts, in pasture 

 lands. 



Flowers yellow. 



N. plena, Benth. ; F. B. I. ii. 286 is a stouter plant, an intro- 

 duction from America; Shevaroy Hills of Salem (Perrottet). 



77. Xylia, Benth. 



Trees. Leaves bipinnate, pinnae 1 pair ; leaflets of few pairs, 

 large ; stipules small, deciduous ; stipels 0. Flowers sessile in 

 globose peduncled heads, the peduncles axillary, fascicled or 



