94 DiADEirniA. decandria, 



ventured to consider it n spcc'es in ihe absence of flo'.vci-jji 

 it therefore remains to be ccnbrnued in these partic;i!ar<; 

 by some future observer. Tliis sptces jippears to he de- 

 cidedly perennial, and spreads diff'usely to a considerable 

 extent; tlie petic^es, destitute of the lonc^- woolly hairs 

 of the preceding", rr.reiy exceed an inch in length, the 

 subulate stipules are only 2 or 3 lines loner, the leaf 

 is attenuated downwards, and arounded at the summit, 

 covered with short and silky hairs, and only about 2 and 

 a haif inches long-. 



5 ether species of tliis gcnr.s exist in Peru, 3 at Monte 

 Video, 6 in the south of Europe, several of ihem also 

 common to the Levan*, 1 in Kirvpt, 2 of uncertain locality; 

 an entire leaved species at the Cape of Good Hope, not 

 sufficiently distingriished from L. viliosus, but producing 

 a blue flower, and another in Cochinchina. 



493. CROTALARIA. L. (Rattle-box.) 

 Vexilhim large and cor<]atc; carina acumi- 



nat(?. Filaments united in one body, witU a 

 doi'sal iissure. Legume pedicellate, turgid. 



Herbaceous or shrubby; leaves simple, ternate or rarely 

 digitate; stipules scarcely any, or conspicuous (as in C. 

 sajittalis, he.) and mostly distinct from (he petiole; inflo- 

 rescence various, scarcely that of a simple genus, e. g- flow- 

 ers often spiked or racemose, terminal, axillary or oppo- 

 site to the leaves; legume also often short, and 1 or 2 

 seeded, or long and many-seeded. 



Species. 1. C.sa</ittaiis.(^' 2. parvifora. 3. ovaUs. Pe- 

 rennia!, stem hirsute, procumbent; haves simple, subses. 

 sile, oval; stipules acuminate, dccurient; racemes about 3- 

 flovv-ered opposite the leaves. H ab. In Carolina and Geor- 

 gia; common around Savannah; leaves sometimes desti- 

 tute of stipu!e.=i, in vvhich imperfect state it is described 

 by >Tr. Pursh, who does not also appear to have known 

 tliat it was perennial, and consequeni ly very distinct from 

 the annual C sn^-ittaiist, with whicii Michaux associated it. 



Th"s Topical genus of ne^r 60 spcc"es is almost exclu- 

 sively indigenous to India and the Cape of Good Hope- 



f I Siigma pubescent, (Stamina diadtlphous.) 



494. PISUM. L. (Pea.) 



Segnirnts of the cali.\: foliaceoiis and cqnah 

 Vexilium wt'i 2 protruding plaits. Siijle com- 



