Sesbania.] LEGUMIJSOS^. 24a 



Praiw I.e., in which the standard is externally dotted with purple ; 3, 

 Licolor, W. Sf A. I.e., in which the standard is dark maroon or pur- 

 ple outside. This last is the one most commonly met with in Upper 

 India. 



2. S. aculeata, Fers. Syn. ii, 316 ; Boyle III. 191 ; F. B. I. ii, 115 (excl, 

 all vars. ) ; WoM, E. D. (in part) ; Prain in Journ. Asi Soc. Beng. LXVI, 

 J. 2 C1897J, 369. Vern. Jayanti. 



A large erect shrub-like glabrous annual. Branches and underside of leaf- 

 rachis armed with small hooked prickles. Leaves 6-12 in. long ; leaf' 

 lets smaller and much more numerous than in 8. cegyptiaca. Flowers 

 rather smaller and yellow. Pods 6-9 in. long, narrowly linear and slightly 

 falcate, beaked, not twisted, slightly turulose, glabrous. 



Abundant within the area as a weed of rice-jBelds and swampy placea- 

 DisTRiB. : Plains from the W. Himalaya to Ceylon and Siam and cosmo. 

 politan throughout the B. tropics. Dr. Prain recognizes the two follow- 

 ing varieties : — 



Vab. 1. typica, Prai)! I.e. ^schynomene spinulosa, Boxb. Fl. Ind. Hi, 

 333. S. aculeata, W. i^ A. Prod. 215 (excl. sijn. M. cannahina, Boxb, 

 ^ JFj. bispinosa, Jacq.J. Stems reddish, rather densely sprinkled with 

 minute prickles. 



Vab. 2. elatior, Prain I.e. S. cannabina, W. ^ A. I.e. ( not M. canna' 

 bina,Boxb.) — Steui* green, sparingly prickly, taller, lax and slender. 

 S. cannabina, Pers., which has been referred by many authors to this 

 species is, according to Dr. Prain, quite distinct. It is ^schynomene 

 cannabina of tietzitis, and what B-osburgh (Kl. Ind. iii, 335) describes 

 as the Dhunchi plant of Bengal. It is cultivated in Bengal and Burma 

 .for its fibre, which is used chiefly for making into fishing nets and 

 lines. 



3. S. grandiflora, Pers 8yn. ii, 316; Brand. For. Fl. 137 ; F. B. I. ii, 



115 ; Watt E. D .<3Gschynomene grandiflora, Linn.; Roxb. Fl. Ind. iii, 



331. Agati grandiflora, Besv.; W. ^ A. Prod. 215; Boyle III, 191. Vern. 



Basna. 



A short-lived soft-wjoded tree-, 20-30 ft. high. Leaves 6-12 in. long ; 



- Zea;^eis of 16-30 pairs. Bacemes short, peduncled, 2-4 fld. Calyx shal- 

 lowly 2-lipped. Corolla S-S^ in. long, white or pink . Pod u^ to 20 in. 

 long, falcate or straight, firm ; sutures thick ; valves slightly constricted 



' between the seeds. 



This plant is grown within the area chiefly for the sake of its ornamental 

 appearance. It is cultivated in other parts cf India as a support for the 

 Betel vine. It extends thr-.ugh Malaya to N. Australia. The young- 

 leaves, pods and ilowecs are eaten as'a vegetable, and various parts of 

 the plant are used medicinally. 



i2 



