THE FLORIDA VELVET BEAN AND ITS HISTORY. 29 
nothing to do with the West Indian JJ/weuna pruriens. As Hooker 
long ago pointed out, the striking differences between the West Indian 
and the East Indian species are that the former has acuminate leaf- 
lets, whereas in Mucuna prurita they are obtuse or obtusish; J/ucuna 
pruriens has a loose raceme, while J/ucuna prurita has a dense 
raceme; Mucuna pruriens has the calyx lobes triangular and nar- 
rowly acuminate, whereas in Mueuna prurita they are rather broadly 
triangular and merely acute; J/ucuna pruriens has a few inconspicu- 
ous stinging hairs on the calyx, whereas in Wucuna prurita they are 
much more numerous and are conspicuous on account of their rusty 
color. The seeds of the two species are also distinct. Those of 
Mucuna pruriens have a dark, brownish gray ground color with lon- 
gitudinal markings of black. In all samples of Mucuna prurita 
examined the seeds are nearly black and unicolored. It may lhkewise 
be pointed out that the seeds of Mucuna pruriens are larger and not 
flattened on thé sides, with the hilum only about one-half the length of 
the seed, while in Mucuna prurita the sides of the seeds are distinctly 
flattened and the hilum fully two-thirds as long as the seed. 
In this connection the remarks of Voigt’ are of interest. Under 
Mucuna utilis he says: “ Certainly different from J/. prurita, which 
has been cultivated in the garden here for many years, without its 
pods becoming less stinging.” Voigt further identifies J/. wti/és with 
the black bean of Mauritius and Bourbon. This last-mentioned plant 
has been grown during the past season at Biloxi, Miss. Specimens of 
it agree exactly with the plate of J/. w7ilis. It is also exceedingly 
probable that MWucuna capitata (Roxburgh) Wight and Arnott ts the 
same thing, as the description agrees perfectly. 
It is impossible to consider the Florida velvet bean the same as 
Mucuna utilis, from which it has several marked distinctions. The 
principal points of difference are as follows: Zhe size of the pod, that 
of Mucuna utilis being 4 to 44 inches long and ? inch wide and the 
Florida velvet bean usually under 3 inches long and not so wide; 
the shape of the pod, that of the Florida velvet bean being more 
cylindrical and blunt at the ends, less pronouncedly falcate, and not 
so decidedly ridged longitudinally; the pubescence on the pod, that 
of Mucuna utilis being thin, “ appressed, and almost silky ” hairy, 
while that on the Florida velvet bean is very dense, velvety, very soft, 
and weak; the shape and size of the seed, that of Mucuna utilis being 
large, long-oval, and flattened, whereas that of the Florida velvet 
bean is almost spherical and of smaller size; the color of the seed, 
which in the description of Mucuna utilis is not given, but from 
@Hooker. Bot. Misc., vol. 2, p. 348. 1831. 
’ Hortus Suburbanus Caleuttensis, p. 235. 
141—III 
