e S T UM Re Ba i i ee et 
a em 
MR. BENTHAM ON TROPICAL LEGUMINOSA. 305 
interruptæ, 13-3 poll. long, sæpius paucæ in paniculam brevem terminalem disposite. Flores ex 
albido flavescentes, sessiles, secus rhachin solitarii v. fasciculati, fasciculis infimis nonnunquam brevis- 
sime pedunculatis, plerique 5-meri, 2 lin. longi. Calycis tubus discifer turbinatus, lobi oblongo- 
lineares, obtusi, villosi, tubo paullo longiores, parum inæquales. Petala calycis lobos parum exce- 
dentia, angusta, villosa. Stamina inæqualia, petalis longiora, filamentis crassiusculis parce pilosis ; 
anther ovate, purpureæ. Ovarium stipitatum, stipite a calyce libero, villosum, in stylum brevem 
glabrum attenuatum ; ovula 6-8. Legumen stipitatum, planum, fere rectum, obtusum, coriaceum, 
glabrum v. pilis paucis conspersum, 4-6 poll. longum, 1 poll. latum, suturis vix incrassatis. 
Hab. West tropical Africa. Gathered in the Huilla distict in the dense rocky forests about Mumpulla, at 
an elevation of about 4000 feet (in flower and fruit), and in the district of Pungo Andongo, in the 
woods near Calundo, at an elevation of between 2400 and 3800 feet (in fruit only) (Welwitsch). 
X. OLIGOSTEMON, Benth. in Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Pl. 578. 
(Tribe Cassrgx. Tropical Africa.) 
Cumar. Gen. Calycis tubus nullus ; sepala 4, ampla, externo infimo subcoriaceo secundoque summo majore 
subpetaloideo ovatis integris, tertio ovato-lanceolato hinc basi sublobato, quarto profunde 2-lobo, lobis 
lanceolatis petaloideis sed aveniis. Petala 5, sepalis multo minora, 3 superioribus lanceolatis v. 
ovato-lanceolatis, summo extimo, 2 inferioribus minoribus linearibus. Stamina 5, rarius 4, filamentis 
brevissimis planis liberis ; antheræ elongate, basifixæ, apice 2-fide, loculis acuminatis longitudinaliter 
sulcatis superne rima brevi dehiscentibus, 3 staminum superiorum dorso longitudinaliter connatæ, 
1-2 laterales liberz. ^ Ovarium breviter stipitatum, longitudinaliter 4-alatum, 2-ovulatum ; stylus 
crassiuscule filiformis, stigmate parvo terminali. Legumen junius elongatum, acuminatum, longi- 
tudinaliter 4-alatum. Semina....—Frutex elatus. Folia imparipinnata. Flores in racemum ter- 
minalem dispositi. 
The handsome, richly-flowering, tall shrub on which this genus is founded, a nativ 
of tropical Africa, is, like several others from the same country, perfectly isolated by 
its characters, combining those of very different tribes. The most important of them, and 
especially the structure and arrangement of the stamens, refer it, without doubt, to Cassie; 
whilst the æstivation of the petals, the upper one outside as in Papilionaceæ, is, I 
believe, a solitary exception in the whole suborder of Cæsalpinieæ. In other respects the 
structure of the flower, as well as the habit, show considerable affinity to the Brazilian 
genus Martia; the veined petals are nearly those of Tamarindus. Our drawing was un- 
fortunately taken from the first specimens we had, which were only commencing to flower. 
Others more advanced were afterwards received, in which the terminal raceme had 
lengthened to above a foot; and some of the pods were already much enlarged, but not 
nearly sufficiently so to ascertain their dehiscence, if any, or to show the structure of 
the seed. The following is the only species known :—. 
O. pıcrus, Benth. (Plate XXXIX.) 
Frutex fide Mannii 12-20-pedalis, partibus novellis inflorescentiaque minute rufo-tomentellis, cæterum 
glaber. Foliola 7-9, petiolulata, opposita cum impari, obovali-elliptica, apice rotundata et abrupte 
acuminata, acumine mucronulato, basi acutiuscula, 4-5-pollicaria, tenuiter coriacea, pennivenia et reti- 
culato-venulosa.  Stipulæ parvæ, latiusculæ, acute, caducæ. Flores rosei, sepalis exterioribus brun- 
neis, in racemum densum demum ultrapedalem terminalem dispositi. Pedicelli subsemipollicares v. 
demum longiores, crassiusculi, supra basin persistentem articulati, ad articulationem bibracteolati, 
VOL. XXV. = 
