LEGUM1N0S2E-PAPILI0NACEJE. 297 



flowers 1 axillary pedunculate, solitary or in pairs ; bracts small 

 stipuliform ; bractlets persistent striated 2 (Brazil). 



131. Geissaspis Wight & Arn. 3 — Calyx membranous imbri- 

 cated, afterwards deeply cleft into 2 lips ; upper lip entire or very 

 shortly 2-toothed ; lower unequally 3-tootlied. Petals unguiculate ; 

 standard broadly suborbicular ; wings oblique ; keel curved obtuse, 

 about equal to wings, a little shorter than standard. Stamens 10, 

 finally 2-adelphous ; sheath longitudinally cleft on both sides ; 

 anthers uniform. Germen stipitate ; ovules 2, descending; style 

 curved ; apex minutely capitate, stigmatiferous. Legume mem- 

 branous, 2- or oftener 1-seeded (lower ovule abortive and segment 

 scarcely thickened) ; superior suture straight or arched ; inferior 

 sinuate ; segments reticulated. Seeds orbicular or subreniform, 

 exarillate. — Herbs, slender, diffuse ; leaves paripinnate ; leaflets few 

 exstipellate, usually small; stipules broad membranous, produced 

 below insertion ; flowers 4 in crowded long-pedunculate axillary 

 racemes ; bracts large, obliquely orbicular or reniform, membranous 

 or subscarious, veined, much imbricated, distichous (?), usually 

 covering flowers and fruits, entire or ciliate ; pedicels oblique, 

 appressed to bracts ; bractlets (East Indies, western tropical Africa '). 



132. Smithia Ait. 6 — Calyx gamosepalous, deeply cleft into 2 lips ; 

 upper lip entire or emarginate ; lower nearly entire, 3-toothed or 

 3-iid. Corolla almost that of Geissaspis. Stamens 10, 1-adelphous; 

 filamental sheath finally cleft on both sides ; anthers uniform. 

 Germen stipitate or subsessile ; ovules oo ; style slender curved ; apex 

 minutely capitate or truncate, stigmatiferous. Legume contained by 

 sacciform persistent or accrescent, scarious unevenly folded and 

 retracted calyx, apiculated by usually weak style ; segments 2-ao , 

 much compressed, oblique or nearly horizontal, connected by much 

 narrowed exocarp ; endocarp hardened or scarious round each seed. 



1 "Yellow." PI. Trap. Aft., ii. 151.— Walp., Rep., i. 726; 



2 This genus ought perhaps to he considered Ann., ii. 407, 412. 



a section of Mschynomene with persistent pe- 6 Ilort. Kew., cd. 1, iii. 4fl6, t. 13. — Lamk., 



tals. Diet., vii. 222 j Snppl., v. 162 ; III, t, 627.— 



3 Prodr., 217.— Endl., Gen., n. 6597.— 13. II., Desvx., Journ. Hot., i. 121, t. 4.— DC, Prodr., 

 Gen., 516, 1002, n. 162. ii. 323— Endl., Gen, n. 6608.— 15. II.. < 



4 Yellow or purplish. 516, n. 161. — Kotschya Endl., Stirp. Nov. Mas. 



5 Species 4. Webb, Spicil. Gorgon., in Hook. Vindob, Pec, 6; Icon., t. 125; Gtn., n. Odd". — 

 Niger, 123 (Soemmering ia). — BAXEB, in OUv. PatagnanaQyfBTu.(exFoiR.,Pict.,S\xpf\.,locMt.). 



