310 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 
short acute ; flowers in axillary racemes ; rachis rather rigid, straight ; 
bracts short distichous ; pedicels long; bractlets 2, short, inserted at 
top of pedicel below flower (New Caledonia’). 
154. Desmodium Dzsvx.,—Calyx gamosepalous ; tube short, at 
base either obtuse (Catenaria,? Dendrolobium,' Dicerma,’ Phyllodium,’ 
Pteroloma’), or tapering (Micolsonia,’ Codariocalyzx,’ Pleurolobus,” 
Cyclomorium, Sagotia,’ Dollinera*); lobes or teeth 5, unequal ; 
2 superior connate to a less height; 3 inferior narrower, acute or 
subulate. Petals sessile or unguiculate; standard obovate, oblong, 
or suborbicular, narrowed at base, sessile or more rarely with an 
obtuse or subcordate claw; wings oblique, either slightly adhering 
to inappendiculate keel (Catenaria, Dendrolobium, &c.), or adhering 
to keel laterally appendiculate with a small membrane or hump 
(Wicolsonia, Codariocalye, &c.); keel curved or subrostrate, obtuse. 
Stamens 10, 2-adelphous (9-1) ; vexillary stamen free at base, connate 
to a variable height with remainder into a closed tube. Germen 
sessile or stipitate ; ovules 2—o ; style curved or inflexed, beardless ; 
apex obtuse or capitate, stigmatiferous. Legume jointed exserted: 
segments l—-oo; of variable form, coriaceous or membranous, rather 
turgid or flat, glabrous or villous, either separating in succession on 
maturity and usually indehiscent, or more rarely scarcely separable 
and dehiscing at inferior suture. Seeds orbicular ovate or reni- 
form, compressed exarillate.—Herbs, undershrubs or shrubs ; leaves 
usually pinnate 3-foliolate (Dendrolobium, Dicerma, Phyllodium, Dol- 
linera, &c.), more rarely 5- or 1-foliolate (Pteroloma, &c.); leaflets 
stipellate; stipules free or connate into one, oppositifolious, usually 
dry striated; flowers” either in terminal or axillary, compound 
branched, or more rarely simple or subumbellate racemes, or else 
sometimes axillary, solitary or few; bracts often 2-flowered, mem- 
1 Species 1: A, sanguineus, 
2 Journ. Bot., i. 122, t. 5, fig. 15.—DC., 
Prodr., ii. 325.—Spacu, Suit, & Buffon, i. 133.— 
Enp.L., Gen., n. 6615.—B. H., Gen., 519, 1002, 
n. 170. 
% Benra., in Plant. Jungh., i. 220. 
4 Benta., loc. cit., 215. 
5 DC., Mém. Légum., 326; Prodr., ii. 339 
(sect. Desmodii).— ENDL., Gen., n. 6616. 
8 Dusvx., loc. cit., 123, t. 5, fig. 24. 
7 Beyra., in Plant. Jungh., i. 219. 
8 DC, Mém. Légum., 311, t. 51; Prodr,, ii. 
825.—ENDL., Gen., n. 6612.—Perrottetia DC., 
in Ann. Sc. Nat., sér. 1, iv. 95. 
§ Hassx., in Flora (1842), Beibi., ii. 48. 
10 JaumE, in Desve. Journ. Bot., i. 61. 
 Watp., Rep., ii. 890. 
2 Watp., in Linnea, xxiii. 737; Ann., ti. 412 
(nec H. By.),— Ozydium Benn., Pl. Javan, 
Rar., 156. 
8 Enpu., Gen., n. 6614.—Ototropis Scuav., 
Ind. Hort, Wratisi. (1838). 
4 Usually small; white, or oftener pink purple 
or blue. 
