240 



LEGUMINOS^E. CXI1I. COURSETIA. CXIV. SESBANIA. 



author of the Botaniste Cultivatcur, 5 vols. in 8vo. Paris, 1802. 

 and one of the editors of the Bon Jardinier). D. C. in ann. sc. 

 nat. 4. Jan. 1825. p. 92. prod. 2. p. 264. 



LIN. SYST. Diadelfhia, Dccandria. Calyx 5-clcft, with nearly 

 equal acute segments, 2 superior ones rather the shortest, and 

 joined together a little higher up than the rest. Vexillum ob- 

 cordate, shorter than broad. Keel obtuse, shorter than the wings. 

 Stamens diadelphous. Style incurved, thick at the base and 

 glabrous, but filiform at the apex and bearded with villi on all 

 sides. Stigma capitate, terminal, smoothish. Legume com- 

 pressed, 1-celled, 5-8-seeded, tapering to the apex, and mucro- 

 nate by the style. Tomentose shrubs, with subulate stipulas, 

 abruptly-pinnate leaves, with many pairs of ovate small leaflets, 

 the common petiole sometimes terminating in a bristle, but rarely 

 in an odd leaflet. Flowers yellow. This genus is allied to Ro- 

 binia and Caragana, not to L&thyrus or jEschynomene. 



1 C. TOMENTO'SA (D. C. 1. c.) the whole plant clothed with 

 velvety tomentum ; leaves with from 30-35-pairs of leaflets ; 

 racemes 2-3-flowered, shorter than the leaves ; calyx 5-cleft. Tj . 

 S. Native of Peru. L&thyrus fruticosus, Cav. icon. t. 84. 

 O'robus tomentosus, Desf. cat. hort. par. ed. 1. p. 195. Vicia 

 fruticosa, Willd. spec. 3. p. 1102. O'robus fruticosus, Pers. 

 Flowers yellow. 



Tomentose Coursetia. Shrub 2 feet. 



2 C. ? DU BIA (D. C. prod. 2. p. 264.) branches clothed with 

 white villi ; leaflets elliptic, acutish, usually about 30 pairs, pu- 

 berulous above, and villously tomentose beneath, and canescent ; 

 racemes 15-20-flowered, length of leaves ; calyx 5-toothed. Jj . 

 S. Native on the Andes about Pasto, near the river Guaritaria. 

 Sesbania dubia, H. B. et Kunth, nov. gen. amer. 7. p. 268. t. 

 660. Hymenospron Pastoensis, Spreng. Flowers rose-coloured. 



Doubtful Coursetia. Shrub 3 to C feet. 



3 C. VIRGA'TA (D. C. 1. c.) plant smoothish; leaflets 10-15 

 pairs; racemes 8-1 0-flowered ; calyx 5-toothed. Jj . S. Native 

 of New Spain. /Eschynomene virgata, Cav. icon. t. 293. Agati 

 virgata, Desv. journ. bot. 3. p. 120. Legume glabrous, com- 

 pressed, somewhat torulose, not articulated, apiculated by the 

 thick style. Calyx not bipartite. Stamens not equally diadel- 

 phous. Perhaps a proper species of Coursetia. Corolla yellow. 



Twiggy Coursetia. Shrub 2 feet. 



Cult. See Sab'mca for culture and propagation, p. 239. 



CXIV. SESBA'NIA (Sesban is the Arabic name of the first 

 species). Pers. ench. 2. p. 316. Desv. journ. bot. 3. p. 120. t. 

 4. f. 5. Sesban, Poir. diet. 7. p. 127. Sesbana, R. Br. in hort. 

 kew. 4. p. 330. ./Eschynomene species of Lin. and others. 

 Coronilla species of Willd. 



LIN. SYST. Diade/p/ita, Decandria. Calyx 5-cleft or 5-toothed 

 (f. 38. a.) with the lobes nearly equal. Vexillum roundish, 

 complicated, larger than the keel (f. 38. &.). Keel obtuse, 2- 

 edged at the base. Stamens diadelphous, having the tube or 

 sheath rather auricled at the base. Legume elongated, slender 

 (f. 38. c.), compressed, or somewhat cylindrical ; the sutures 

 thickened, not truly articulated, but rather torulose. Shrubs 

 or herbs, having the cauline stipulas lanceolate. Leaves ab- 

 ruptly pinnate, with many pairs of leaflets, having the petioles 

 drawn out , into a bristle at the apex instead of an odd leaflet. 

 Peduncles axillary. Flowers racemose, usually yellow. Perhaps 

 this genus, with the three following, ought to have been referred 

 to Tribe Hedysarece. 



1 S. jEoYPTi 1 ACA (Pers. ench. 2. p. 316.) shrubby, glabrous; 

 leaflets 10 pairs, oblong-linear, obtuse, and rather mucronate ; 

 racemes many-flowered ; legumes compressed, and rather terete, 

 torulose, twice the length of the petiole. Tj . S. Native of 

 Senegal, Egypt, and the East Indies. Sesban, P. Alp. 82. with 

 fi figure. ^Eschynomene Sesban, Lin. spec. 1061. Coronilla 



FIG. 38. 



Sesban, Willd. spec. 3. p. 1147. K. Sesban and JE. I'ndica, 

 Burm. fl. ind. 169 and 170. Vexillum roundish and dotless. 

 Flowers yellow. 



''I'-lfi/ptiun Sesban. Fl. July, Aug. Clt. 1680. Shrub 5 feet. 



2 S. OCCIDENTA LIS (Pers. ench. 2. p. 316.) shrubby, glabrous ; 

 leaves with 12-15 pairs of elliptic leaflets; racemes few-flowered ; 

 legumes terete, straight, 3-times longer than the petioles. Ij . S. 

 Native of South America or the Caribbee Islands. Coronilla 

 occidental, Willd. spec. 3. p. 1147. Plum, ed Burm. t. 125. 

 f. 1 . Corolla hairy according to Plumier, yellow. 



Occidental Sesban. Fl. July, Aug. Clt. 1816. Shrub 4 feet. 



3 S. CASSIOI'DES ; shrubby, smooth ; leaves with from 20-35 

 pairs of lanceolate, obtuse, mucronate leaflets ; stipulas subu- 

 late ; peduncles axillary, 2-3-4-flowered ; legumes long-linear, 

 terete, longer than the leaves. lj . S. Native of Guaiaquil. 

 ./Echynomene cassioides, Ruiz et Pav. in herb. Lamb. 



Cassia-like Sesban. Shrub 2 to 3 feet. 



4 S. EXASPERA'TA (H. B. et Kunth, nov. gen. amer. C. p. 

 534.) shrubby ; branches angular, and are, as well as the rachis, 

 prickly ; leaves with about 30 pairs of linear, mucronate, rather 

 falcate, glabrous leaflets, but with the nerves and margins beset 

 with adpressed down ; peduncles usually 3-flowered, one-half 

 shorter than the leaves. T? . S. Native of South America, in 

 sand at the river Apures, and near La Laguna de Valencia. 

 Corolla glabrous, yellow. Legume very long and cylindrical. 



Rough Sesban. Shrub 3 to 4 feet. 



5 S. ACULEA'TA (Pers. ench. 2. 

 p. 316.) plant herbaceous and gla- 

 brous ; rachis of leaves rather 

 prickly ; leaves having about 25 

 pairs of linear, obtuse, rather mu- 

 cronulate leaflets ; racemes few- 

 flowered ; legumes filiform, one- 

 half shorter than the petioles. 

 S. Native of Malabar. .Sschy- 

 nomene Sesban, Jacq. coll. 2. p. 

 283. JE. hispinosa, Jacq. icon. rar. 

 t. 564. Coronilla aculeata, Willd. 

 1. c. Rheed. mal. 9. t. 27. Burm. 

 zeyl. t. 41. There is a variety of 

 this plant having only 12-15 pairs 

 of leaflets. Flowers orange. 



Prickly Sesban. Fl. July, Aug. 

 Clt. 1690. PI. 5 to 6 feet. 



6 S. PERUVIA'NA ; shrubby, smooth ; leaves with 4-6 pairs of 

 obovate, obtuse, mucronate leaflets, which are glaucous beneath ; 

 racemes short, few-flowered ; stipulas ovate, subulate at the 

 apex ; petioles prickly ; legumes longer than the leaves, elon- 

 gated, terete. Jj . S. Native of Peru. ^Eschynomene spec, 

 nov. Ruiz et Pav. in herb. Lamb. 



Peruvian Sesban. Shrub 3 to 4 feet. 



7 S. CANNA'BINA (Pers. 1. c.) plant herbaceous, glabrous; 

 rachis of leaves smooth; peduncles 1 -flowered, twin; legume 

 filiform, compressed. Q. S. Native of Malabar. .lEschyno- 

 mene cannabina, Retz, obs. 5. p. 26. Coronilla cannabina, Willd. 

 spec. 3. p. 1148. Flowers small, yellow. This plant, if treated 

 as hemp, may be used for the same purposes. 



Hemp Sesban. Fl. July, Aug. Clt. 1800. PI. 2 to 4 feet. 



8 S. AFFI K NIS (Schrad. sem. hort. goett. 1819.) plant herba- 

 ceous, smoothish ; leaflets 12-18 pairs, oblong-linear, very blunt, 

 mucronulate ; rachis of leaves smooth ; racemes few-flowered ; 

 legumes compressed, pendulous, length of rachis. Q. S. Native 

 of the East Indies. jEschynomene cannabina, Hortul. Flowers 

 yellow. 



Allied Sesban. Fl. July, Aug. Clt. 1800. PI. 2 to 4 feet. 



9 S. PUNCTA'TA (D. C. prod. 2. p. 264.) plant herbaceous, 



