52 LeguminoSCS. [Desmodium. 



A very small perennial, slightly woody at base; stem 

 prostrate and rooting at base, scarcely branched, very hairy; 

 1. 3-foliolate, rachis f-if in., hairy, stip. narrow, very 

 acuminate, with long white hairs, lflts. small f-ij in., oval, 

 obtuse or subacute, nearly glabrous above, pale with silky 

 hair beneath, the terminal one the largest ; fl. few, very small, 

 on slender ascending ped. \ in. long, in pairs in slender, erect, 

 very lax, terminal racemes, bracts caducous; cal. nearly 

 glabrous, segm. lanceolate, acute; pod f-i in., straight, scarcely 

 indented along dorsal, much so along ventral edge, joints 2-4, 

 twice as long as broad, semicircular, covered with fine hooked 

 hairs. 



Lower montane zone ; rare. Ambagamuwa. Fl. Oct., Nov. 

 Endemic. 



This appears to be closely allied to D. Scalfte, of which Thwaites, 

 indeed, considered it a variety. 



13. D. Wig-htii, Grah. in Wall. Cat. n. 5718 (1828). 

 D. Walkeri, Arn. Pug. 13. Thw. Enum. 87. C. P. 3129. 

 Fl. B. Ind. ii. 169. 



A tall perennial herb, 2-4 ft., branches slender, striate, 

 slightly hairy; I. 3-foliolate, rachis i\-2\ in., stip. setaceous, 

 soon falling, lflts. 2-3^ in., lanceolate-oval, obtuse or subacute, 

 mucronate, somewhat undulate at margin, glabrous or slightly 

 hairy above, finely silky beneath; fl. small, on very slender 

 ped. 2-4 times as long as cal., in pairs in very lax narrow, 

 elongated, spicate, terminal and axillary racemes, bracts 

 setaceous as long as ped., conspicuous ; cal. very hairy, segm. 

 lanceolate, acute; pod rather under 1 in., slender slightly 

 falcately curved, scarcely indented on dorsal, deeply so on 

 ventral edge, joints 6 or 7, as broad as long, transversely 

 wrinkled, slightly rough with minute bristles. 



Low country ; very common. Fl. Jan.-April. 

 Also in S. India. 



D. Walkeri, Arn. (founded on specimens of Walker's n. 205) seems to 

 be merely a sub-glabrous state ; but C. P. 2973, referred to this by Thw. 

 (1. c. 87), is D. cajancefolium DC. — an introduced weed in the Bot. 

 Gardens, and a Tropical American species. To this also, or to the 

 closely allied D. leiocarpum^ Don, of Brazil, is to be referred C. P. 3544 

 (from Maturata) given by Thwaites (1. c. 411) as Hedysarutn mucronatum, 

 Bl., no doubt also an introduction. 



D. diffusum, DC. Another weed in the Peradeniya Gardens and 

 round about appears to be this common Indian species. 



14. H. rufescens, DC. Prod. ii. 335 (1825). 

 D.ferrugineum, Wall., Thw. Enum. 87. C. P. 1426. 

 Fl. B. Ind. ii. 171. Wight, 111. t. 79 ; Ic. t. 984. 



