222 XLV. LEGUMINOSiE [Millettia 



tomentose. Leaflets 5-7 pair, 2 in. long, stipules subulate, | in. long, stipels 

 setaceous. Fl. whitish, in compact racemes, which are paniculate at the ends 

 of branches, often appearing before the leaves, bracts much longer than buds. 

 Standard and ovary glabrous. Pod dark brown, glossy, linear, 4-6 in. long, 

 3-5 seeded. 

 Deciduous forests of the Western Peninsula, and Burma. Fl. Aj^ril, May. 



Tlie otlier climbing species of this genus may be classified as follows : — 



a. Underteide of full-giown leaves densely clothed with silkj^, lustrous t omentum 

 (Wehtern species). 



17. M. ruTbiginosa, Wight and Arn. ; Wight Ic. t. 207. Hills near Courtallum •, leaflets 

 2-3 pair, ellix3tic, 4-6 in. long 5 secondary nerves 8-10 jpair, |)etiolules \~\ in., stipels 

 small, fl. \ in. long, standard densely silky on the back. Pod woody, velvety, 3-4 in. 

 long, 1 in. broad. 18 M, splendens, W. & A. Nilgiris, Anamallays. Leaflets 3^ jDair. 

 oblanceolate, 4-6 in. long, secondary nerves 12-15 pair, stipules consi^icuous, standard 

 densely silky on back. Pod -woody, velvety, 8 in. long, % in. wide. 



h. Underside of full-grown leaves pubescent (Eastern species). 



19. M. puerarioides, Prain in Journ. As Soc. Beng. vol. 66 (1898), p. 358. Tenasserim, 

 Sitang vallej^, Upper Burma ^ leaflets 2-3 pair, 4-10 in. long, long-caudate, acuminate, 

 finely but densely silky beneath, lower free portion of common i^etiole as long as, or 

 longer than leaflet, secondary nerves 6-9 pair, prominent beneath. Racemes slender, 12 

 111. long, fi. \ in. long, standard densely silky on 4)ack; pod ultimately glabrous. 

 This is the species described by Kurz, P. PL i. 353, as Millettia serieea, Wight and 

 Arn., a large woody climber of the Malay peninsula and Java, leaflets lustrous silky 

 beneath •, fl. I in. long. Pod velvety, turgid. 20. M. fruticosa, Benth. Nepal in Sal 

 forest, Assam, Silhet, Pegu; a low scrambling shrub, leaiiets 4-5 pair, oblong or 

 oblanceolate, 2-6 in. long, underside brown, finely pubescent, secondary nerves 6-8 

 pair, x^rominent beneath. PL in erect racemes. Pod flat, linear velvety, 3-4 in. long. 

 Wun2i, Burm., collected by Smales, Daungyu forest. Upper Burma, ib similar, leaflet & 

 obovate obtuse, densely silky beneath. 21. M. cana, Benth. Yenangyaung, on the 

 Irawaddi, Wallich, leaflets 3 pair, coriaceous, broadly elliptic, 2-3 m. long, 2 in. 

 broad, secondary nerves 6-8 pair, prominent. Pod woody, flat, lauceolate. 



c. Underside of full-grown leaves glabrous or nearly so. 



22. M, Piscidia, Wight Ic. t. 86, Khasi Hills, Assam, Upper Burma (Thinwin, Burm.), 

 Tonkin, glabrous, leaflets 2-3 pair, thinly coriaceous, elliptic-lanceolate, 3-4 in. long, 

 no &ti|)el&. Secondary nerves indistinct. PL |-1 in. long, white, on capillary pedicels. 

 Calyx membranous glabrous, standard, glabrous. Pod thin, hard, glabrous, 3 in. long. 



23. M. moEticola, Kurz P. FL i. 354, Sikkim 6,000-7,000 ft., Assam, Nattaung, Burma 

 (6,500-7,200 ft., in stunted hill and pine forests); leaflets 4-5 pair, membranou.s, pale 

 beneath, from cuneate base oblong, shortly acuminate, 3-4 in. long, secondary nerves 

 6-8 pair not prominent, a minute network of reticulate veins between. Racemes 

 compact, erect or spi-eading, unilateral before fl. open, generally several at the ends of 

 branches. PL (blue, Nattaung, Kurz), pale lilac or purple in Sikkim. Prain, I.e., 361, 

 463, states the pods are indehiscent and winged along both su.tures, hence the species 

 would be Derris nionticola. It is not D. setunda^ Baker, PL Brit. Ind. ii. 247. 



24. M. caudata, Baker, Khasi hills, Silhet, glabrous, leaflets lanceolate, caudate- 

 acuminate 3-4 pair, 4-5 in. long. Pod linear, rigidly coriaceous, 3-4 in. long, J in. 

 broad. 25. M, cserulea, Baker, PL Brit. Ind. ii. 107, found by Wallich at " Phaiioc ''' 

 on the Salween is doubtful. 



9. DESMODIUM, Desv. ; Fl. Brit. Ind. ii. 161. 



Shrubs or herbs, leaves unifoliolate or pinnately trifoliolate, leaflets 

 penniuerved, stipellate. Fl. red or white, stamens diadelphous, or the lOtb free 

 at base, adhering to the sheath higher up. Pods flat, consisting of several 

 1-seeded, usually indehiscent joints. 150 species in the tropical and sub- 

 tropical countries of both hemispheres. 



A. Leaves 3-foliolate, fl. in umbels or heads. 



1. D. Cephalotes, Wall.; "Wight Ic. t. 373.~-Sjn. D. congesHim^ Wall.: 

 Wight Ic. t. 209. 



A large shru.b, in Burma at times a small tree ; branches angular, young 

 shoota grey silky. Leaflets elliptic4anceolate, 2-4 in. long; secondary nerves 



