142 



37. LEGUMINOS^. 



[Mezoueuron. 



28. MEZONEURON, Desf. 



Robust prickly climbers. Leaves abruptly bipiunate. Flowers iu 

 larj^e panicles, yellow. Calyx very oblique, lowest lobe cucullate. 

 Petals spreading, subequal, obovate. Stimens free, exsei-ted. Style 

 filiform incurved with the stamens, stigma email, capitate. Pod large, 

 flat, thin, winged down the upper suture, indehiscent. 



M. cucullatum, W. & A. Prod. 283 ; Fl. Br. I. 2. 258 ; Dalz. & Gibs. 

 Bomb. Fl. 80. Bagi, Vern. 



Eastern Himalayas from Nepal, ascending to 4'"'O0 ft. to the Khasia 

 hills, Beliar and the Western Peninsula. In the moist evergreen forests 

 of the Konkan and North Kanara, abundant in the extreme south of 

 North Kanara. Fl. Nov-Feb. Fr. March. 



29. POINCIANA, Linn. 



Trees. Xeaves bipinnate. Flowers in corymbose racsmes, large. 

 Calyx deeply cleft with the disk a little above the base, the segments 

 valvate, subequal. Petals orbicular, clawed, margin of blade fimbriate- 

 crisped. Stamens 10, free^, exserted. Style very long, fihform, stigma 

 minute, capitate. Pod large, flat, ligulate. 



Flowers bright scarlet ... ... ... 1. P. regia. 



Flowers yellow ... ... ... ... 2. P. elata, 



1. P. regia, Bojer. Bot. Mag. t. 2884 ; Fl. Br. I. 2. 260 ; Dalz. & Gibs. 

 Bomb. Fl. Suppl. 27- Goolmohr Tree. Cultivated in gardens through- 

 out the presidency, very ornamental, a native of Madagascar. Fl. H. S. 



Fr. remains long on tree. Wood white, soft, open-grained. 



2. P. elata, Linn. ; DO. Prod. II. 484 ; Fl. Br. I. 2. 260 ; Bedd. Fl. 

 Sylv. t. 178 ; Brandis For. Fl. 157 ; Dalz. & Gibs. Bomb. Fl. Suppl. 28. 

 Vayni, sankdsura, Vern. Said to be indigenous in the forests on the 

 Western coast as far north as Guzerat, Brandis. Cultivated in gardens 

 throughout the presidency. Fl. rainy season. Fr. cold season. Wood 

 yellow, close and even-grained. Probably only indigenous in Southern 

 India. 



30. PARKINSONIA, Linn. 



Spinous trees. Leaves bipinnate, pinnae with a flattened rachis, 

 leaflets very small, often absent. Flowers yellow. Calyx deeply 

 cleft with a sub-basal disk. Petals exserted, broad, with long claws. 

 Stamens 10, villous;, included. Style filiform, stigma terminal. Pod 

 turgid, dry, moniliform. 



P. aculeata, Linn. DC. Prod. II. 486 ; Fl. Br. I. 2. 260 ; Bedd. Fl. 

 Sylv. 91 ; Brandis For. Fl. 158 ; Dalz. & Gibs. Bomb. Fl. Suppl. 28. 



The Jerusalem Thorn. Vilayati hikar^ Sind. 



Cultivated as a hedge plant or as a roadside tree throughout the presi- 

 dency, a native of the West Indies. Fl. throughout the year. Wood 

 whitish, close-grained ; used for fuel and charcoal j makes good fences. 



