368 B. Prain — Some additional Leguminosee. [No. 2, 



Bengal ; in stagnant pools near villages and in swamps, very com- 

 mon. Burma ; not infrequent in swamps and swampy pastures all over 

 the plains of Pegu, Kurz ! Malay Peninsula ; open marshy ground in 

 Kedali near rice fields, Kunstler n. 1712! Distrib. Java (Horsfield /) 

 Formosa (Henry n. 1802 !) 



A large tree-like annual reaching 12 ft. in height, stems 2 in. in diam. fall of 

 white pith ; no prickles on stems or leaf-rachises. Leaves 8—12 in., sessile, leaflets 

 10-30 pairs, sparsely hirsute above. Racemes drooping, 8-12-fld., about as long as 

 the leaves in whose axils they arise. Flowers yellow, the standard externally dotted 

 with small purple spots, f in. long. Pods 10-12 in., always pendulous and always 

 twisted. 



This is the familiar Kathsola of Bengal, so named because of its great similarity 

 in appearance to Aeschynomene aspera, the true Sola ; the pith of this being a little 

 harder it is known as the Kath (woody) sola. Though it is preferable to use Rox- 

 burgh's epithet " paludosa " for the species it must be pointed out that this is not 

 S. paludosa Jacq. That species, as the description of the flowers and frnits shows, 

 is S. uliginosa Sweet (Aeschynomene uliginosa Roxb.) Mr. Baker, it is true, identi- 

 fies A. paludosa with .4. uliginosa (Flor. Brit. Ind. ii. 115) ; both are Sesbanias and 

 both grow in swamps, but as they differ in habit, in foliage, in flowers and in fruit 

 it seems better to keep them separate. Mr. Kurz thinks this may have been what 

 Loureiro meant by Coronilla cochinchinensis, but as that species Las erect torulose 

 pods, the identification is impossible. Dr. Kuntze's treatment of this form (Rev. 

 Gen. PI. i. 181) which he rednces to 8. zegyptiaca, makes it clear that She never saw 

 the plant itself ; his whole discussion is an excellent example of the unscientific 

 use of the imagination. 



3. Sesbania sericea DC. Prodr. ii. 266. S. aculeata var sericea 

 Benth. in Thw. Enum. 441; Bah. in Flor. Brit. Ind. ii. J 15; Trimen, 

 Flor. Ceylon, 34. 



Ceylon ; Colombo, Ferguson ! 



There is no doubt that this differs specifically in the points noted by Mr. Baker. 

 The pods most resemble those of 8. cannabina, the foliage that of S. paludosa. It 

 has been only once collected in Ceylon, and may possibly be an introduced species. 



4. Sesbania cannabina Pers. Synops. ii. 316; annual unarmed, 

 racemes few-fid., short but distinctly peduncled, pods very often solitary, 

 rarely more than 2, spreading or pendulous very rarely erect, rigid not 

 twisted, sutures stout straight, valves not depressed between the seeds. 



India and Burma ; cultivated only. 



This is the Dhunchi plant which is quite as well known to European residents as 

 the Jaynti or the Kathsola, and which differs so greatly in habit, flowers and fruit 

 from these that by no licence can they be conceived conspecific. This is Aeschyno- 

 mene cannabina Retz. Obs. v. 26 ; Roxb. Flor. Ind. iii. 335 ; S. cannabina DC. Prodr. 

 ii. 265 : S. affinis Schrad. in DC. Prodr. ii. 265. It must, however, be noticed that it 

 is not the S. cannabina of Wight & Arnott (Prodr. 215), as an examination of their 

 specimens and a perusal of their description shows. The fibre of Dhunchi is some- 

 times used instead of Jute fibre for various purposes, its chief employment being by 

 fishermen for nets and lines, the fibre having a reputation for resisting the effects of 



