32 LegumiflOSCZ. [Tephrosia. 



A perennial herb, 1-2 ft. high, with numerous wide- 

 spreading, glabrous or sparingly pilose branches ; 1. numerous, 

 rachis 1J-3 in., slender, flexuose, channelled above, pilose, 

 stip. setaceous, lflts. 5-10 pair and end one, on pilose stalks, 

 equal, narrowly cuneate-oblong, tapering to base, obtuse or 

 retuse, mucronate, glabrous above, finely adpressed-silky be- 

 neath ; fl. numerous, rather small, on slender ped., 2 or 3 

 together in small, lax, narrow, erect, terminal racemes ; cal. 

 thinly silky, segm. long, acuminate ; pod ij-if in., linear, 

 slightly curved, mucronate, very thinly hairy, 5-6-seeded. 



Low country in both moist and dry regions, a very common weed. 

 Fl. July, Nov., Dec: purplish-pink. 



Found throughout the Tropics. 



There is a form with very small flowers, which seem to be that figured 

 by Burman. 



A common village medicine for children. 



5. T. maxima, Pers. Syn. PI. ii. 329 (1807). [Plate XXVI I.] 

 Burm. Thes. 228. Fl. Zeyl. n. 300. Cracca maxima, L. Sp. PI. 752. 

 Thw. Enum. 84. Galega maxima, L., Moon Cat. 55. C. P. 1444. 



Fl. B. Ind. ii. 113 (71 purpurea, var.). Burm. Thes. t. 108, f. 2 (bad). 



Perennial, often prostrate, with many long, slender branches 

 set with rather long spreading hair ; 1. distant, rachis 2\-6 in., 

 channelled above, with more or less long spreading hair, stip. 

 cuspidate, deflexed or spreading, rigid, conspicuous, lflts. 

 stalked, in 4-6 pair and an end one, nearly equal, narrowly 

 obovate-oblong, usually strongly emarginate, mucronate, nearly 

 glabrous on both sides, lat. veins prominent beneath ; fl. large, 

 few, on slender ped., in lax, long-stalked, apparently terminal 

 (? really axillary) racemes exceeding the 1., cal. pubescent, 

 segm. narrow, acuminate ; pet. f in. ; pod about 2\ in., nar- 

 rowly linear, slightly falcate, beaked, scantily pubescent or 

 nearly glabrous ; seeds 11-14. 



Dry region in sandy ground liable to be overflowed ; rather common. 

 Jaffna; Mineri ; Kantalai. Fl. March-Aug.; bright pale pink. 



Also in S. India. 



A very pretty plant with large rose-coloured flowers. I cannot agree 

 with Baker, in Fl. B. Ind., in making this a variety of T. purpurea. 



The fl. are sometimes solitary in the leaf axils. The stip. are de- 

 veloped before the 1., and are very conspicuous in the buds. 



6. T. XXookeriana, W. and A. Prod. 212 (1834). 

 T. hirta, Thw. Enum. 84. C. P. 2776. 

 Fl. B. Ind. ii. 113. 



Perennial, erect, with ascending pubescent branches; 1. 

 large, rachis about 3 in., pubescent, stip. linear, filiform, lflts. 

 in 7-9 pair and an end one, 1-1J in., shortly stalked, oblong- 



