342 LEGUMINOSiE. CLXXVI. ABRUS. CLXXVII. SWEETIA. CLXXVIII. MACRANTHUS. CLXXIX. ROTHIA. 



1 -seeded cells by cellular transverse membranes, never truly 

 articulated. Radicle curved back upon the fissure formed by 

 the cotyledons (f. 21. e.f.). Cotyledons tHick, filled with fccula, 

 and destitute of cortical pores, and do not undergo any change 

 at the time of germination, but nourish the young plant by 

 means of that supply of food they alreadv contain ; they rise above 

 the earth, and are usually protruded from the spermaderm. Pri- 

 mordial leaves opposite, all the rest of the leaves are furnished 

 with an odd leaflet ; the leaflets always pinnately disposed, rarely 

 disposed palmately. This tribe of plants is more natural than 

 the preceding ; it is allied to Hedysarece, from the pods being 

 divided into transverse cells by cellular membranes, and to 

 Viciece in the cotyledons being thick, and protruding from the 

 spermaderm. 



CLXXVI. A'BRUS (from a/3poc, abros, soft ; in reference to 

 the extreme tenderness of the leaves). Lin. gen. no. 1286. 

 Gasrtn. fruct. 2. p. 328. t. 151. D. C. prod. 2. p. 381. 



LIN. SYST. Monadelphia, Enneandria. Calyx bluntly 4- 

 lobed, upper lobe broadest. Corolla papilionaceous, with an 

 acute vexillum. Stamens 9, monadelphous at the base, having 

 the tube or sheath gaping in front. Stigma obtuse. Legume 

 oblong, compressed, 4-6-seeded. Seed roundish, separated by 

 cellular membranes. A delicate twining shrub, with abruptly- 

 pinnate leaves, bearing many pairs of leaflets. This genus dif- 

 fers from the rest of the present tribe in the leaves being abrupt- 

 ly-pinnate. 



1 A. PRECATORIUS (Lin. syst. 533.) fj . r *. S. Native of the 

 East Indies, from whence it has probably migrated to the tro- 

 pical parts of Africa and America. Rumph. amb. 5. t. 32. 

 Rheed. mal. 8. t. 39. Flowers pale purple, disposed in axillary 

 bunches. There are different varieties of this plant, varying 

 in the colour of the seeds, which are probably as many distinct 

 species ; some are red, with a black spot, some blood-coloujed, 

 others white, rufous, and black. The leaves and roots of this 

 plant taste like liquorice, whence the inhabitants of the West 

 Indies call it wild liquorice, and they use the roots for the same 

 purposes as we do liquorice. The seeds of the commonest 

 variety are of a glossy scarlet-colour, with a black spot or eye 

 at the hylum, or that part which is fixed to the pod ; they are 

 commonly strung, and used as ornaments by the inhabitants of 

 those countries where the herb grows wild ; they are frequently 

 brought to Europe from Guinea, and the West and East Indies, 

 bored, and used as beads, with other hard seeds and shells ; they 

 are also used as beads for rosaries, hence the trivial name, and 

 in Egypt as pulse, but they are the hardest and most indigestible 

 of the whole pea tribe. 



Prayer Wild-liquorice. Fl. March, May. Clt. 1686. Sh. tw. 



Cult. This plant requires a strong heat to keep it in a grow- 

 ing healthy condition. A mixture of sand and loam is the best 

 soil for it, and it is increased by cuttings under a hand-glass in 

 sand, or by seeds, which should be raised on a hot-bed. 



CLXXVII. SWEFTIA (named by De Candolle in honour 

 of Robert Sweet, F.L.S. author of Hortus Suburbanus Londi- 

 nensis, Hortus Britannicus, British Flower-garden, and Flora 

 Australasica, &c.) D. C. legum. mem. ix. prod. 2. p. 381. 



LIN. SYST. Diadelphia, Decandria. Calyx 4-cleft, naked at 

 the base, with lanceolate, acuminated, nearly equal lobes. Co- 

 rolla papilionaceous, with an obtuse wedge-shaped vexillum, and 

 an obtuse 2-edged keel. Stamens diadelphous. Ovary sessile. 

 Legumes linear, compressed, many-seeded, 1-celled. Slender 

 twining herbs, which are frutescent at the base. Leaves pin- 

 nately-trifoliate. Stipulas subulate. Peduncles axillary, fili- 

 form. Flowers purple. Legumes pubescent. Style filiform, 

 glabrous. 



1 S. LONGIFOLIA (D. C. prod. 2. p. 381.) leaflets oblong-lan- 



ceolate ; legume straight ; racemes axillary, few-flowered. Jj . 



". S. Native of South America. Galega longifolia, Jacq. icon. 



rar. t. 572. coll. 2. p. 349. Tephrosia longifolia, Pers. Sprang. 



Long-lcajletted Sweetia. Fl. June, Aug. Clt. 1818. PI. tw. 



2 S. FILIFORMIS (D. C. prod. 2. p. 382.) leaflets oval-oblong, 

 hardly twice the length of the breadth ; legumes falcate ; pedun- 

 cles few-flowered. T? . ^. S. Native of South America. Galega 

 filiformis, Jacq. coll. 2. p. 348. icon. rar. 573. 



Filiform Sweetia. Fl. July, Aug. Clt. 1820. Shrub tw. 



3 S. VELUTI'NA ; leaflets oblong, obtuse, villous on both sur- 

 faces ; racemes few-flowered; legumes lanceolate, pubescent. 

 Tj . *"\ S. Native of St. Domingo. Tephrosia velutina, Spreng. 

 syst. 3. p. 232. 



Velvety Sweetia. Shrub tw. 



4 S. ? ULIGINOSA ; leaflets oblong, acuminated, glabrous ; pe- 

 duncles 3-flowered. fy . *"\ S. Native of the East Indies. 

 Robinia uliginosa, Roxb. Willd. Tephrosia uliginosa, Spreng. 

 syst. 3. p. 



Bog Sweetia. Shrub tw. 



5 S. ? LIGNOSA (D. C. prod. 2. p. 382.) leaflets cuneate-ob- 

 ovate, emarginate, rather coriaceous, glabrous ; racemes longer 

 than the leaves ; bracteas setaceous ; legumes rather falcate. 

 fj . . S. Native of St. Domingo. Gly'cine lignosa, Turp. in 

 Pers. ench. 2. p. 301. Calycine segments 4, acute, of these the 

 two lateral ones are the shortest. Vexillum very broad, green 

 at the base. 



Woody Sweetia. Clt. 1824. Shrub tw. 

 Cult. See Abrus for culture and propagation. 



CLXXVIII. MACRA'NTHUS (from p aK po s , makros, long, 

 and ay^oc, anthos, a flower ; in reference to the long flowers). 

 Poir. suppl. 3. p. 569. D. C. prod. 2. p. 382. Marcanthus, 

 Lour. fl. coch. p. 461. from a typographical error. 



LIN. SYST. Diadeljihia, Decandria. Calyx tubular, coloured, 

 permanent, 4-cleft ; lobes acute, the 2 lateral ones the shortest. 

 Corolla papilionaceous, with an ovate, concave, emarginate vex- 

 illum, which is not half the length of the oblong wings. Stamens 

 10, diadelphous, of these 4 are thicker than the rest, bearing 

 ovate anthers, and the other 6 slender, bearing oblong anthers. 

 Style filiform, pilose, crowned by an obtuse stigma. Legume 

 straight, nearly terete, thick, acuminated, many-seeded Twin- 

 ing herbs, with trifoliate leaves, ovate-rhomboid pilose leaflets, 

 filiform stipulas, axillary peduncles, bearing many white flowers, 

 and eatable legumes. 



1 A. COCHINCHINE'NSIS (Lour. 1. c.) J? . r *. G. Native of 

 Cochin-china, and where also it is cultivated for the legumes, 

 which are dressed and eaten by the inhabitants, as we do French 

 beans. 



Cochin-china Long-flowered Bean. Fl. July, Aug. PI. tw. 



Cult. A mixture of loam and peat will suit this plant. It 

 is increased by seeds, which should be raised on a hot-bed. 



CLXXIX. ROTHIA (in honour of Alb. Wilh. Roth, of 

 Bremen, author of Tentamen Florae Germanicae, 3 vols. 8vo. 

 Leipsic, 1788, 1789, 1793, and 1801, and a great number of 

 other botanical works). Pers. ex D. C. prod. 2. p. 382. Dill- 

 wynia, Roth, cat. bot. 3. p. 71. Pers. ench. 2. p. 302. but not of 

 Smith. 



LIN. SYST. Monadelphia, Deaindria. Calyx 5-cleft, the 2 

 superior segments arched, falcate, and coadunate, pressing down 

 upon the vexillum, which is deflexed. Corolla papilionaceous, 

 with a 2-edged keel. Stamens monadelphous, with the tube or 

 sheath gaping on the back. Legume linear-ensiform, many-seeded. 

 Seeds reniform. 



1 R. TRIFOLIA'TA (Pers. 1. c.) O- H. Native country un- 

 known. Dillvvynia trifoliata, Roth, 1. c. Gly'cine humifusa, 

 Willd. enum. 756. ex Roth, nov. spec. 349. Cledme prostrata, 



