228 



XLV. LEGUMINOSjE 



[Erythrina 



ulous. Leaflets ovate, acuminate, glabrous, 4-5 in. long, stipellary glands 



large, oblong. PI. appear "while the tree is in leaf, 

 in dense short racemes on stout peduncles. Calyx 

 2-lipped, wings and keel equal, one-third the length 

 of standard, which is 1J> in. long. Lower portion of 

 pod 3 in. long, flat, seedless, indehiscent, upper 

 portion shorter and narrower, dehiscent, with 1-4 

 large dark purple seeds. 



Burma, in moist valleys near streams to 3,000 ft. Often 

 grown to support the betel-vine. Fl. Jan.-Feb. Malay 

 Archipelago. 



E. holosericea, Kurz, is, as pointed out by Prain, in 

 Journ. As. Soc. Beng. 66, 72, a mistake, based upon the 

 leavesof E. litlwsperma and the fl. of E. ovalifolia. 



Dioclea reflexa, H.f. ; Kurz, F. Fl. i. 379 ; Ann. Bot. Gard. 



Calc. ix. t. 40. Assam, Silhet, Tenasserim, Andamans, 



Malay Peninsula and Archipelago, tropical Africa and 



America, is a strong woody climber with rusty tomentose 



branches, and pinnately trifoliolate stipe] late leaves. Fl. 



pale pink, in dense racemes on rusty tomentose peduncles 



8-12 in. long, bracts linear, much longer than buds, 



subpersistent. Petals about equal in length, standard 



orbicular, emarginate. Vexillary stamen free below, con- 



Fig. 97. nate with the others in the middle, with a perfect anther, 



Erythrina lithospernia, the stamens in the sheath alternately with perfect and 



Bl. J. empty anthers. Pod turgid, 1-2-seeded, 3-4 in. long. 



14. PUERARIA, DC; Fl. Brit. Ind. ii. 197. 



Twining shrubs or herbs with large pinnately trifoliolate stipellate leaves, 

 which in some species are lobed. Fl. in long, mostly paniculate racemes, blue 

 or purple. Calyx campanulate, teeth unequal. Wings and keel nearly equal 

 to standard. Vexillary stamen entirety free or cohering with the rest. Ovary 

 sessile or nearly so. Pod linear, flat, many-seeded. 12 species, India, Malay 

 Archipelago, Japan, and New Guinea. 



1. P. tuberosa, DC. ; Wight Ic. t. 412. Vern. Sural, Surur, Hind. ; 

 Ghora bel, Merwara. 



A large deciduous pubescent climber, with woody tubercled stem. Leaflets 

 broadly ovate, acuminate, pubescent, 4-6 in. long, 3-5 in. broad, the two 

 lateral unequal-sided. Bracts shorter than buds, fl. pale blue, fasciculate, in 

 long panicled racemes, appearing when the plant is leafless. Pod flat, clothed 

 with long rusty hairs, 2-3 in. long, 2-6-seeded, much contracted between 

 seeds. 



Subhimalayan tract from the Indus to Sikkim, ascending to 4,000 ft. Western 

 Peninsula. Fl. March, April. The large tuberous roots are eaten. 



2. P. Wallichii, DC. ; Prain in Journ. As. Soc. Beng. vol. 66 (1898), 419. 

 A large glabrous climber, leaflets obovate. Bracts longer than buds, hairy, 



fl. appearing while the plant is in leaf, white, yellow or reddish, in racemes 

 3-12 in. long, fascicled and paniculate. Pod glabrous, coriaceous, 4-5 in. long. 



Subhimalayan tract, Nepal and Sikkim, chiefly in the Sal forests, Khasia, Silhet, 

 Upper Burma. Fl. Oct., Nov. 



Other shrubs and climbers : 3. P. Thunbergiana, Benth. — Syn. P. Thomsoni, Benth. ; 

 Fl. Brit. Ind. ii. 198, Sikkim, Khasia, China and Japan. A vigorous climber, leaflets 

 often lobed. Fl. large, blue or violet, f-1 in., calyx teeth much longer than tube. Pod 

 4-5 in., densely clothed with long silky hairs. 4. P. Candollei, Grah, Chittagong, 

 Burma, Andamans. Calyx glabrous, edges scarious and ciliate. 5. P. Collettii, Prain in 

 Journ. As. Soc. Beng. vol. 66 (1898), 420, Upper Burma. A shrub, sometimes climbing, 

 branches and leaves clothed with soft grey velvet. Racemes axillary, longer than 

 leaf. Pod thin, 2 in. long, J in. wide. 



