FORAGE LKGUMIXOS.E 



283 



Calactia (Herb).— -The genus Galactia contains small herbaceous 

 plants with trailing stems which gro\v wild in some districts of 

 Mauritius. It is good feed ; unfortunately the plant is not of tufted 

 habit and only affords a very slight amount of foliage; the leaves are 

 down}'. 



Several varieties occur, such as Galactia icricea, a native of 

 Mauritius and Bourbon ; G. diversifoliaj indigenous to Madagascar, the 

 Comoros and Mauritius, grows on the savannahs and on the mountains. 

 They grow during the rains and flower in February and March. 



The composition of the Galactia harvested at Reduit is as follows : — 



Water 



Ash 



Cellulose 



Fat 



Sugars 



Non-nitrogenous matter 



Nitrogenous matter ... 



Nitrogen 



The content of mineral matters is as follows : 



According to Baker, the above Galactia^ which has reddish tiowers, 

 is G. toiuiflora. 



Indigcfera (Shrub). — As a rule animals pay scarcely any attention 

 to the genus Indigofera, but the variety /. ovina should be recorded. 

 It is a small, herbaceous, leguminous plant from the Cape and sheep 

 and goats enjoy browsing it. 



According to Roxburgh, two Indian species are forage plants, and 

 at Cayenne cows eat Indigofera anil. var. folyphylla. 



According to "Watt, the fodder yielded by Indigofera fauciflora is 

 relished by camels. 



Jackscnia cupulifera (Tree). —This plant occurs in the arid 

 •Australian deserts. It is a small tree, and gives a fodder which is 

 greatly relished by horses and cattle. Several other varieties of 

 Jacksonia ;ire equally useful. 



