Crof^alaria.] 



37. LEGUMTNOS^. 



123 



1. CROTALARIA, Linn. 



Herbs or slirubs. Leaves simple or 3-5-foliate. Flowers racemose^ 

 often showy. Calyx with a short tube^ teeth free or somewhat con- 

 nate into 2 lips. Corolla included or exserted ; keel incurved, distinctly 

 beaked. Stamens monadelphous in a sheath, split dorsally ; anthers 

 dimorphous, alternately on short filaments versatile and on longer 

 basifixed. Ovary usually sessile, style long, abruptly incurved at the 

 base, bearded above, stigma oblique, small. Pod usually sessile, turgid 

 or inflated, continuous within, 2-many-seeded. 



Leaves simple. 



A firm-branched under-shrub with rigid, small, 



scattered leaves. Pod oblong, slightly exserted ... 1. C, BurJiia. 

 Under-shrubs w^ith silky or pubescent foliage. 

 Stipules or small. Racemes terminal. Pods 



glabrous, exserted. 

 Stipules subulate, very minute. Bracts 



subulate ... ... ... I.Cretusa, 



Stipules leafy, persistent. Bracts ovate, foli- 

 aceous ... ... ... ... 3. C. sericea. 



Stipules lanceolate, minute. Bracts ovate, 



persistent ... ... ... 4. C. Leschenaultii, 



Erect shrubs. Leaves silky or pubescent. Flowers 

 in terminal or lateral racemes or panicles. Pod 

 silky or velvetty, exserted or not. 

 Flowers racemed. Pods exserted. 



Stipules small, 1-2, lunate. Bracts minute, 

 subulate. Pod clothed with fine deci- 

 duous pubescence ... ... 5. C. Heyneana^ 



Stipules or minute, subulate. Bracts 

 lanceolate, very minute. Pod densely 



velvetty ... ... ... 6. (7, leptostachya. 



Stipules or minute, subulate. Bracts 

 minute, linear. Pod clothed with short 

 spreading, persistent, silky hairs ... 7. C.juncea, 

 Flowers panicled. 



Stipules or minute, subulate. Bracts 

 ovate, cuspidate. Pod small, silky, in- 

 cluded ... ... ... 8. C.fulva. 



Leaves trifoliate. 



Stipules and bracts minute, setaceous. Pod glab- 

 rous, exserted ... ... ... 9. C. striata. 



1. C. Burhia, Hamilt. in Wall. Oat. .5386 ; Fl. Br. T. 2. 66 ; Braudig 

 For.. Fl. 144. Ghagri, M. ; Ohugharo, Guz. ; Drunnu, Sind. : Sis, sissai,, 

 Vern. 



Punjab, Rajputana and Cambay ascending to 4000 ft. Common in the 

 plains of Sind in dry sandy places. Fl. Nov.-Mch. 

 Yields a fibre suitable for cordage. 



2. C. retusa, L. Fl. Br. I. 2. 75. Gagri, M. 



Tropical India from the Himalaj'as to Ceylon. Fl. Feb.-Mch. 

 A robust under-shrub. 



