
ORDEAL BEAN OF CALABAR. oll 
slightly astringent and acrid; woody bundles arranged in wedges; bark giving 
out a reddish, gummy exudation, which becomes very dark on drying.* Leaves 
alternate, petiolate, stipulate, pinnately-trifoliate; leaflets ovate, acuminate, each 
having a struma, which serves as a short petiolule, and two small, thickened, acute, 
and somewhat falcate stipels; lateral leaflets oblique at the base. Venation reti- 
culated, curved-veined, with a prominent midrib and two less distinct lateral ribs. 
Petioles about three inches in length, rounded on the lower side, grooved on the 
upper, having a pulvinus, with two minute triangular stipules, which are reflexed 
at the margins. Inflorescence axillary on pendulous multifloral racemes; rachis 
of raceme zigzag and knotty; knots rounded, irregular on the surface like 
minute tubers, bearing the pedicellate flowers. Pedicels about a quarter of 
an inch in length, two or three arising from the same nodosity, from which they 
separate by disarticulation ; flowers articulated to the pedicels; at the upper 
part of the pedicel, close to the flower, are two callosities representing bractlets, and 
sometimes a sort of thickened ring. Flowers about an inch in length, half an 
inch across. Calyx campanulate, four-cleft at its apex, the upper division being 
notched, and its segments ciliated; the calyx is thus composed of five united 
sepals, and it assumes a somewhat bilabiate appearance. Corolla papilionaceous, 
beautifully veined, of a pale pink colour, with a purplish tinge (Tomson), when 
preserved in spirits assuming a pale yellowish hue, curved in a crescentic manner. 
Veaillum external, large, completely covering the other parts of the flower in 
zestivation ; bilobate at the apex, which is completely recurved, narrowed at the 
base, with two small projections on each side of the very short claw which is 
furrowed, and has two longitudinal callosities in the middle; basal portion of 
limb of vexillum having rounded lobes, which are turned inwards so as nearly 
to meet. Ale large, more deeply coloured than the other parts of the flower, 
reaching to the edges of the vexillum in bud, obovato-oblong, curved, narrowed 
into a curved hook-like claw, with a projection above it, edges slightly incurved. 
Carina as broad as the alz, and much longer than them, equal in length to the 
vexillum, broad below, prolonged upwards into a narrow sort of rostrum, which 
ends in a blunt apex, and is curved upwards and backwards, so as to form be- 
tween two-thirds and three-fourths of a circle; petals of keel ovate-oblong, with 
triangular acuminate processes projecting from above their base on the inside, 
and with very narrow claws. Stamens ten, diadelphous, nine united by their 
filaments for about two-thirds of their length, vexillary free stamen an inch and 
a quarter long, with an appendage to the filament immediately above its base: 
-staminal sheath swollen below, filaments long, not thickening upwards; anthers 
two-lobed, dehiscing longitudinally. Dzsk at the base of the ovary thickened, 
with a sheath extending upwards over the gynophore. /ivsti/ more than one and 
* For an account of the stem, wood, and bark, I am indebted to notes furnished by the Rev. 
W. C, Tuomson of Old Calabar. 
