PEBKINS T»l LEGUMINOSAE OF POBTO RICO, 173 



cm. long by aboul half as broad, the Lateral ones opposite, Bhort-stalked, both sides 

 Bubglaucoue and thinly silvery, I he upper nearly or quite glabrous when mature, turn- 

 ing blackish when dried; racemes moderately dense, -.■> to 5 cm. long when in flower, 

 nearly Bessile; pedicel equaling the obliquely campanlllate, thinly Bilvery calyx, 

 which Lsnol more than lmm. deep, the lower teeth lanceolate, reaching half wa) down, 

 i he upper shorter; corolla fugacious, yellow, :; to L.5 mm. long. Pod reflexed, Bickle- 

 shaped, 1 to 2 cm. long, 3 mm. thick, subtel ragonous with thickened sutures, glabrous 

 when mature, 6 to s seeded. 



Near Bayamon in cultivated localities; Siena de Naguabo, near Rio Blanco; uear 

 Yabucoa in the coasl districts; near Patillas on the sea al ( ruardaraj a; near Coamo, in 

 inead«>ws between Serillos and Salinas; near A.djuntas on declivities al Saltillo; uear 

 Guayanilla on calcareous mountains near Penon; uear Guanica, in fields a1 Punta de 

 los Pescadores and in coasl districts near La Ballena; near Cabo Etojo in pastures; near 

 Mayaguez and AAasco. Bahama, Cuba, Jamaica, Cayman (Hitchcock), Haiti. St. 

 Thomas, St. Croix. St. John. St. Bartholomew (Stockholm Herbarium . Guadeloupe, 

 Martinique, St. Vincent, Mustique, Bequia (Kew Bull. no. 81, p. 245), Barbados, 

 Grenada, Tobago, Trinidad I < rrisebach), Margarita. It is said to be a native of tropical 

 America. 



Indigofera suffruticosa is much cultivated in the tropics and subtropics and from it is 

 prepared the well-known coloring matter, indigo. It is obtained in the following 

 manner. The plants are mowed jn.-i before the flowering time and Boaked in water 

 nnt il the liquid becomes a deep yellowish-green color. The fluid is then drained into 

 large vessels or into a cistern, where it is brought, as much as possible, in contact with 

 the air. by means of wheels and shovels, in order that it may take up oxygen. The 

 indigo Bubstance becomes blue and insoluble in water, and sinks to the bottom in the 

 for in of a hi ne powder. Tin- is .-trained out by woolen cloths and dried. Indigo finds 

 extensive use as a dyestuff, coloring cotton, wool, and silk dark blue. Mixed with oil. 

 it forms a paint of greal body, but one that is easily decomposed by pure air. 



Local name, anil, indigo. 



2. Indigofera guatimalensis M09. & Sesse. 

 (I'rhan, 282.) 



Shrnl.. L.5 meters high; branches woody, deeply silicate, thinly silvery; stipules 

 small, setaceous; petiole about 1 cm. long, firm erecto-patent; leaves 1.5 to 6 cm. long; 

 Leaflets 1 to 6 pairs, oblong or obovate, 1 to 2 cm. long. 5 mm. broad, the lateral ones 

 opposite, short -stalked, the upper one with a petiolule 5 mm. long, all clothed on both 

 sides with rather long gray hairs: racemes 1 to L.5 cm. long, nearly sessile; pedicel ab< ml 

 1 mm. long; calyx pilose. I nun. deep; c.rolla 3 mm. long: pod erect, straight, subtet- 

 ragonous, pilose, I cm. long. 2 mm. wide, with thickened Butures, 3 or l-seeded. 



Near ('abo Etojo in pastures; near Mayaguez, on hills toward Boquillas; near Etincon 

 on declivities at Calvache. — Cuba (cultivated, Train and Baker), St. Thomas, Mar- 

 tinique (introduced), Guatemala (Prain and Baker), Venezuela, Ecuador brain and 

 baken. Tern. 



This plant differs from /. suffruticosa in having thick pods which are smaller and 

 fewer-seeded. 



30. DALEA h. 



DaZeaJuss. Gen. 355. L789, nol P. \W. L756. 



ft,, os, hi Cw. Desc. 185. L802. 



< 'alyx 5-clefl or 5-tpothed, often glandular: the segments Bubequal; petals unguicu- 

 late, the claws of the wings and keel united with the stamen-tube to the middle, decid- 

 uous by an articulation; standard free, inserted al the bottom of the calyx, the limb 



cordate; stamens 10 (rarely 9) nionadelphous, the tube cleft; ovary sessile or shortly 



