186 FABACEAE. 



1. Ecastaphyllum Ecastaphyllum (L.) BrittOB, Mem. Brooklyn Bot. Gard. 1: 

 55. 1918. 



Hedysarum Ecastaphyllum L. Syst. ed. 10, 1169. 1759. 



Ecastaphyllum Brownei Pers. Syn. 2: 277. 1807. 



Becastophyllum Brownei Griseb. PI. Br. W. I. 202. 1860. 



Dalbergia Ecastaphyllum Taubert in Engl. & Prantl. Nat. Pfl. 3': 335. 



1894. 

 Dalbergia Brownei Schinz, Bull. Herb. Boiss. 6: 731. 1898. 



A widely branched, spreading or vine-like shrub 2-4 m. high, rarely tree- 

 like and described as sometimes reaching a height of 8 m., the branches elon- 

 gated, the young twigs finely pubescent. Stipules lanceolate, silky-pubescent, 

 acuminate, about 1 em. .long ; leaves 1-f oliolate ; petioles stout, pubescent, 5-12 

 mm. long; petiolule 2-3 mm. long; leaflet ovate, 6-12 cm. long, rounded or 

 subeordate at the base, short-acuminate at the apex, glabrous or nearly so above, 

 finely and densely pubescent beneath, at least when young; panicles axillary, 

 pubescent, usually little longer than the petioles; pedicels 2—4 mm. long; calyx 

 pubescent, about 5 mm. long; corolla about 1 cm. long; stamens 10, diadelphous; 

 pod suborbicular to broadly oval, 1.5-3 cm. long, finely pubescent. 



Borders ol coppices and coastal thickets, Aliaco, Great Bahama, North Bimlni, 

 Andros, New Providence, Watllng's and Croolsed Island : — Florida ; Cuba to Virgin 

 Gorda and to Trinidad ; .Tamaica ; continental tropical America ; coast of tropical 

 Africa. Ti-Ti. Catesby, 2 ; pi. 2^. 



13. ICHTHYOiMETHIA P. Br. Hist. Jam. 296. 1756. 



Trees, with unevenly pinnate leaves, the short-stalked leaflets large, oppo- 

 site, estipellate, the pink to purplish, rather large flowers in lateral panicles, 

 often appearing before the leaves. Calyx obliquely campanulate, 5-toothed, the 

 2 upper teeth connate. Standard suborbicular; wings oblong, somewhat falcate, 

 adherent to the keel; keel obtuse, its petals coherent on the back. Stamens 

 monadelphous, but the upper one free at the base; anthers versatile. Ovary 

 many-ovuled; style filiform, incurved; stigma terminal, small. Pod linear, 

 flattened, indehiscent, with 4 broad membranous wings, several-many-seeded. 

 [Greek, fish-killing.] A few species of tropical and subtropical America, the 

 following typical. 



1. Ichthyomethia Piscipula (L.) Hitchcock, Gard. & For. 4: 472. 1891. 



Erythrina Piscipula L. Sp. PI. 707. 1753. 

 Fiscidia Erythrina L. Syst. ed. 10, 1155. 1759. 



A tree, usually low, rarely 20 m. high, the twigs finely puberulent. Leaves 

 2-3 dm. long; leaflets 5-9 (rarely 3), elliptic, oblong, or the lower pair ovate, 

 4-12 cm. long, obtuse or acutish at the apex, rounded at the base, glabrous 

 above, at least when mature, finely pubescent beneath; panicles many-flowered, 

 as long as the leaves or shorter; ultimate pedicels short, puberulent; calyx 

 about 6 mm. long, its teeth triangular-ovate ; corolla silky, about 1.5 cm. long ; 

 pod 5-15 cm. long, its wings 7-12 mm. wide, lacerate, transversely veined; 

 seeds black. 



Coastal thickets and scrub-lands. Great Bahama. Lignum Vitae Cny, Andros, 

 Mangrove Cay, New Providence, Eleuthera. Cat Island, Watllng's, Acklln's and An- 

 guilla Isles : — Plorida ; West Indies ; continental tropical America. Fish-poison. 

 Dogwood. Consists of several races differing mostly in pubescence and in form 

 of the leaflets. 



