92 LEGUMINOS.E. [A!jrus. 



the base. Stamens 9, united in a sheath open above (the 10th upper one quite 

 deficient). Ovary with several ovules. Style short, curved. Pod oblong or 

 linear, flat, opening in 2 valves. Seeds several, with cellular partitions be- 

 tween them. Stems usually climbing or twining, woody at the base. Leaves 

 pinnate, of several pairs of leaflets, without any terminal one, the petiole end- 

 ing in a short point. Eacemes terminal or apparently axillary, the flowers in 

 fascicles arising from thickened nodes. 



A small genus, dispersed over the tropical regions of both the New aud the Old World. 

 It is ill some measure intermediate between the tribes Viciece, Phaseolea, and Balbergiece. 



1. A. precatorius^ Linn.; W. and Am. Trod. 'Ft. Pen'ins. i. 236. — A 

 perennial climber or twiner, often woody at the base, glabrous or slightly pu- 

 bescent. Leaflets in 7 to 10 pair, oblong-elliptical or rarely obovate, usually 

 about I in. long. Racemes with 1 or 2 leaves, or at least a leafless pair of sti- 

 pules below the flowers, the flowering part 1 in. or rather more in length, the 

 nodes rather crowded. Flowers pink or rarely white or purple, 5 to 6 lines 

 long. Pod sessile, 1 to H in. long, 6 to 7 lines broad, almost squared at the 

 top and at the base, and attached by the inner angle, glabrous or scaly out- 

 side. Seeds usually black with a large scarlet spot, sometimes brown with a 

 darker spot, or white and unspotted. 



Hongkong, Hance. Very common in India and the Archipelago, extending into tropical 

 aud southern Africa, and frequent also, but perhaps natm-alized in several parts of South 

 America. 



Tribe YII. BALBERGIEM. 



Trees, shrubs, or woody climbers. Leaves pinnate, of 5 or more, or very 

 rarely 3 or 1 leaflets. Stamens all or most of them united. Pod indehiscent. 



Calyx campanulate, 5 -toothed. Wings free, the keel-petals united in the 

 upper pair only. Stamens 10 or 9, all united in a sheath open on the upper 

 side, or into two equal parcels. • Anthers small, erect, the cells opening at the 

 top. Ovary stalked, with 1 or few ovides. Pod oblong or linear, thin, flat, 

 and indehiscent, often wrinkled or thickened about the seed. Seeds 1 or rarely 

 2 to 4, large, thin, and flat in the centre of the pod^ — Trees or wood\ climbers. 

 Leaves pinnate, the leaflets alternate, with a terminal odd one. Plowers small, 

 in dichotomous cymes or irregular panicles. 



A considerable genus, dispersed over the tropical regions of Asia, Africa, and America. 



Leaflets 25 or more. Claws of the petals very short 1. D. Milletti. 



Leailets under 12. Claws of the petals ahnost as long as the calyx. 

 Leaflets 5 or 7, ovate, obtuse, about 1 in. long. 



Calyx tonientose. Pod straight 2. Z). rubiginosa. 



Calyx nearly glabrous. Pod falcate, thick, 1 in. long . . . . 4. D. monospenna. 

 Leaflets 9 or 11, oblong, 6 to 9 lines long. Calyx pubescent . . . 3. Z>. Hancei. 



1. D. Milletti, Bentli. in Joiirn. Linn. Soc. iv. Sajjpl. 34. A woody 

 climber, glabrous, except a minute pubescence on the inflorescence and petioles. 

 Leaflets 25 to 35, linear-oblong, obtuse, 4 to 6 lines long. Flowers scarcely 

 2 lines long, sessile, in axillary cymes much shorter than the leaves. Calyx- 

 teeth all obtuse. Petals on very short claws, the standard almost sessile. 



