246 



LEGUMINOS^E. CXXVI. SWAINSONIA. CXXVII. LESSERTIA. 



Native of New Holland. S. galegif olia, var. albiflora, Lindl. 

 bot. reg. 994. Flowers white. 



Jn,itc-/l,,n'ered Swainsonia. Fl. July, Aug. Clt. 1826. Sh. 

 1 to 3 feet. 



3 S. coRONitLyEFOLiA (Salisb. par. no. 28.) suffruticose, erect; 

 leaves with 9-11 pairs of obovate, einarginate leaflets; pedicel of 

 legume a little shorter than the permanent filaments. Tj . G. 

 Native of New South Wales. Sims, bot. mag. 1725. Leaves 

 smaller than those of the other species. Flowers of a violaceous 

 purple colour. 



Coronilla-leaved Swainsonia. Fl. June, Aug. Clt. 1802. 

 Shrub 1 to 3 feet. 



4 S. LESSERTI/EFOLIA (D. C. in ann. sc. nat. 4. p. 99.) stems 

 rather herbaceous, erect ; leaves with 6-7 pairs of elliptic-ob- 

 long, rather obtuse leaflets ; pedicel of legume very short. 



T? . G. Native of New Holland, on the southern coast. S. 

 astragalif olia, Hortul. Peduncles 2 or 3 times longer than the 

 leaves. Stipulas ovate, obtuse. Younger leaves clothed with 

 hoary pubescence, adult ones almost glabrous. Flowers red, 

 smaller than those of the other species. 



Lessertia-leaved Swainsonia. Fl. July, Aug. Clt. 1824. Sh. 

 1 to 2 feet. 



Cult. All the species are elegant, delicate shrubs, which 

 deserve to be cultivated in every greenhouse. They grow 

 freely in a mixture of loam, peat, and sand, and young cuttings 

 root readily if planted in a pot of sand, with a bell-glass placed 

 over them, or they may be raised from seeds, which are often 

 produced in gardens. 



CXXVII. LESSE'RTIA (in honour of Benjamin Delessert, 

 of Paris, a great promoter of botany, author of Icones, in 2 

 vols. folio, Paris, 1823). D. C. astrag. p. 37. prod. 2. p. 271. 

 R. Br. in hort. kew. ed. 2. vol. 4. p. 327. Sulitra, Medic and 

 Moench. 



LIN. SYST. Diadelphia, Decandria. Calyx half 5-cleft. Vex- 

 illum flat. Keel obtuse. Stamens diadelphous. Stigma capi- 

 tate. Style bearded transversely in front at the apex, but 

 beardless behind. Legume scarious, indehiscent, compressed, 

 or inflated, the uppermost side the shortest. Herbs, rarely sub- 

 slirubs, natives of the Cape of Good Hope, with impari-pinnate 

 leaves, and axillary peduncles bearing racemes of purplish nod- 

 ding flowers. 



1 L. A'NNUA (D. C. 1. c. prod. 2. p. 271.) leaves with 8-10 

 pairs of leaflets, which are glabrous above, the lower ones 

 oblong and emarginate and the upper ones linear ; racemes 

 longer than the leaves ; calyxes bibracteate, beset with black 

 hairs. Q. G. Hook, exot. fl. t. 84. Colutea herbacea, Lin. 

 spec. 1045. Colutea annua, Murr. comm. goet. 5. p. 40. t. 7. 

 f. 12 and 13. Cormn. hort. amst. 2. t. 44. Flowers red. 



Annual Lessertia. Fl. June, July. Clt. 1731. PI. 1 foot. 



2 L. DIFFU'SA (R. Br. in hort. kew. ed. 2. vol. 4. p. 327.) 

 stems diffuse, herbaceous; leaves with 8-10 pairs of elliptic- 

 linear, rather emarginate leaflets, which are rather hairy on both 

 surfaces ; racemes pedunculate, longer than the leaves ; calyxes 

 bractless, beset with black hairs. G. Galega dubia, Jacq. 

 icon. rar. 8, p. 576. Flowers purple. 



Diffuse Lessertia. Fl. July, Aug. Clt. 1792. PI. prostrate. 



3 L. PERE'NNANS (D. C. astrag. p. 37.) stem herbaceous, 

 erect ; leaflets oval, silky beneath, pubescent above ; calyxes 

 bractless ; racemes longer than the leaves, loose, elongated, 

 pedunculate ; flowers numerous, drooping. If. . G. Colutea 

 perennans, Jacq. hort. vind. 3. t. 3. Murr. comm. goet. nov. 5. 

 p. 38. t. 7. Colutea fistulosa, Hortul. Legume stipitate, com- 

 pressed. Corolla with a pale base and red or purple apex. 



Perennial Lessertia. Fl. Aug. Clt. 1776. PI. 1 foot. 



4 L. PU'LCHRA (Sims, bot. mag, 2064.) stem erect, suffru- 

 tescent ; leaves with 7 pairs of ovate, acute, smoothish leaflets ; 

 racemes pedunculate, somewhat capitate, longer than the leaves ; 

 flowers secund. Jj . G. Flowers red or purplish. Legume 

 unknown. 



Fair Lessertia. ( Fl. May, July. Clt. 1817. Shrub l.i foot. 



5 L. MACROSTA'CHYA (D. C. in ann. sc. nat. 4. p. 100.) stem 

 erectish, suftruticose at the base ; leaves with 4-6 pairs of ellip- 

 tic-oblong, obtuse leaflets, which are rather pubescent on both 

 surfaces, the terminal leaflet is longest ; racemes pedunculate, 

 loose-flowered, 2 or 3 times longer than the leaves. >j . G. 

 Burch. cat. geogr. afr. aust. 2356. Flowers red or purple. 

 Young legumes compressed, pendulous, few-seeded. 



Long-spiked Lessertia. Shrub 1 to 2 feet. 



6 L. BRACHYSTA'CHYA (D. C. legum. mem. vi. prod. 2. p. 272.) 

 stem erect, suftruticose at the base ; leaves with 6-8 pairs of 

 linear-oblong, obtuse leaflets, which are rather pubescent be- 

 neath, the terminal leaflet longer than the others ; racemes much 

 shorter than the leaves ; legumes oblong, straight, pendulous, 

 10-seeded. *j. G. Burch. cat. geogr. afr. austr. no. 3353. 

 Flowers red or purplish. Legumes secund, membranous, pu- 

 bescent, about an inch long, each standing on a short stipe. 



Short-spiked Lessertia. Fl. June, Aug. Clt. 1826. Sh. 1 ft. 



7 L. FALCIFORMIS (D. C. legum. mem. vi. t. 46.) stem erect; 

 leaves with 8 pairs of elliptic-oblong, obtuse leaflets, which are 

 pubescent beneath ; racemes 3-4-flowered, one half shorter than 

 the leaves ; legume oblong, falcately curved, 10-seeded. fj . ? G. 

 Flowers purple or red. Legumes like those of the preceding 

 species, but falcate, therefore the species is intermediate between 

 L. brachyslftchya and L. anmdaris. 



7'rt/c;'/br2-podded Lessertia. Fl. June, Aug. Clt. 1826. 

 Shrub 1 foot. 



8 L. FRUTICOSA (Lindl. bot. reg. 970.) stem erect, suffruti- 

 cose ; leaves with 5-6 pairs of linear obtuse leaflets ; stem, 

 petioles, and peduncles, as well as the branches, pilose ; racemes 

 erect, loose-flowered, a little longer than the leaves ; legumes 

 oblong, sessile, 4-seeded. Jj . G. Flowers purple. 



Shrubby Lessertia. Fl. Jul. Aug. Clt. 1826. Sh. 1 to 3 ft. 



t Species not sufficiently known. 



9 L. ANNULA'RIS (Burch. cat. no. 1597. voy. 1. p. 304.) stem 

 erect, a span high ; legume flat, contracted into the form of a 

 ring. Q.I G. Flowers red or purple. 



Ring-podded Lessertia. Fl. June, Aug. . Clt. 1816. PI. |ft. 



10 L. RIGIDA (D. C. prod. 2. p. 272.) stem shrubby, erect ; 

 leaves with 5-6 pairs of lanceolate, acute, glabrous leaflets ; 

 racemes very long. Tj . G. Colutea rigida, Thunb. fl. cap. edit. 

 Schult. p. 603. Legume ovate, compressed, tumid, glabrous. 

 Flowers yellowish. Compare it with L. macrostachi/a. 



Stiff Lessertia. Shrub 1-^ foot. 



11 L. PUBE'SCENS (D. C. prod. 2. p. 272.) stem herbaceous, 

 erect, pubescent ; leaves with many pairs of lanceolate, villous 

 leaflets; racemes oblong; calyxes hairy. .? G. Colutea 

 pubescens, Thunb. 1. c. Legume oblong, glabrous, hardly an 

 inch long. Corolla rufescent. 



Pubescent Lessertia. PI. 1 foot. 



12 L. PROSTRA'TA (B.C. prod. 2. p. 272.) stem herbaceous, 

 diffuse, pubescent ; leaves with many pairs of lanceolate, acute, 

 villous leaflets ; peduncles usually 2 -flowered. O- ? G. Co- 

 lutea prostrata, Thunb. 1. c. Legume ovate, pubescent, hardly 

 stipitate. 



Prostrate Lessertia. PI. prostrate. 



13 L. EXCISA (D. C. prod. 1. c.) stem herbaceous, decum- 

 bent, pubescent ; leaves with many pairs of obovate, cut leaf- 

 lets ; racemes usually terminal. Q. ? G. Colutea excisa, 



