190 MANN, 



Moist land near taro ponds, &c. Common in many places. Also In East and "West 

 Indies, South America, &c. 



Phaseolus liMiatus. a variable species, which furnishes the Lima bean, Sieva bean, &c., 

 has rather small white flowers, and broad, curved pods, with large, flat seeds. 



13. VIGISTA Savi. 



The two superior teeth of the calyx connate or distinct. Standard 

 orbicular, appendaged with inflexed auricles at the base. Wings 

 hardly shorter than the standard. Keel equalling the wings, incurved, 

 erostrate or with a partially curved beak. Stamens diadelphous ; an- 

 thers uniform. Ovary sessile, many ovuled. Style filiform or thick- 

 ened above, longitudinally bearded on the inner side. Stigma very 

 oblique or lateral. Pod linear, straight or nearly so. — Climbing or 

 prosti'ate herbs, or rarely erect. Leaves 3-foliolate, stipellate. Stip- 

 ules often decurrent. Flowers yellow, or rarely simple, fasciculate- 

 racemed at the apex of axillary peduncles. Bracts and bractlets 

 small, caducous. 



Genus of several species, and spread through the hot regions of the globe. 



1. V. LUTEA Gray. (Enum. JVo. 113.) A prostrate vine, several 

 feet long. Peduncles, petioles, and leaves hirsute with scattered hairs 

 when young, soon glabrous. Leaflets obovate or orbicular, very ob- 

 tuse, or even retuse, somewhat tapering at the base, triplinerved, 2' - 4' 

 long and as wide or nearly so. Eacemes on short peduncles, not as 

 long as (often much shorter than) the leaves, few-flowered. Plowers 

 yellowish, 6" -7" long, on pedicels l"-2" long. Calyx-lobes broad 

 and obtusish. Pod l^'-3' long, not much compressed. Seeds several, 

 chestnut-brown. 



Oahu, Hawaii, Maui; often by the seashore. Also in many tropical countries. 



2. V. Oahuensis Vogel. {Enum. Xo. 114.) Plant with much the 

 habit of the last. Peduncles, petioles, &c., sericeous when young. 

 Leaves ovate, usually acute, rounded at the base, not triplinerved, but 

 I'ather strongly parallel-veined, glabrous on both sides, 1^' long, 1' or 

 more wide. Plowers about 7" -8" long. Calyx-lobes broad, acute, or 

 the upper obtuse. Pod about 2' long, curved at the apex. Seeds 

 black. 



Kaala Mountains, Oahu. Maui. Kauai. The species imperfectly known. 



3. V. Sandwicexsis Gray. {Enum. No. 115.) Root tuberous? 

 "edible." Stems slender, twining, retrorsely hirsute-pubescent, as 

 also the petioles and peduncles ; the leaves pubescent on both sides in 

 a similar manner. Stipules and stipellfe subulate, minute. Leaflets 

 linear or linear-lanceolate, or ovate-lanceolate or even ovate and very 

 obtuse and rounded at both ends, of a rather firm texture, 6" - 18" 



