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MEMOIRS OF THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN [Vol. £, No. 3 



I feel that the only reasonable course is to sink several species under Lotus 

 discolor. The ' ^guttation" on the lower surface of the leaflets relied on by Brand 

 to distinguish L. discolor and L. namulensis from L. tigrensis is due merely to a 

 patchy development of pigment showing in the epidermis. While this is strongly 

 developed in most South African specimens, in others it is absent or nearly so 

 (Hutchinson 4711, Macowan & Bolus 1261, Galpin 11471, 12050); and though ab- 

 sent from the type of L. tigrensis, is well shown on Dr. Hugh. Scott s.n. (Abys- 

 sinia, Mount Chillalo, Nov. 1926), which is obviously conspecific. In any event 

 such a character is alone not a specific one in my opinion. Specimens from Mlanje 

 Mountain — the type of Lotus minor is one — have very heavy pigmentation, while 

 Brass 16136 from Zomba represents the other extreme with little or no purple pig- 

 ment and rather more pubescence. The length of the calyx-lobes varies considera- 

 bly, but does not seem correlated with other characters. 



Lotus sp. nr. oehleri Harms, Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berl. 10: 79. 1927. 



North Nyasa District: Nyika Plateau, common locally in open grasslands, per- 

 ennial herb 30-50 cm. high, erect or suberect from a horizontal stock, flowers 

 cream streaked with red, 2340 m., Aug. 14, 1946, 17217. 



This is the same as McClounie 138 (Nyasaland) and St. Clair Thompson 804 

 (southwestern Tanganyika Territory), both in Herb. Kew. These are very near Lo- 

 tus oehleri, which is found in Tanganyika Territory and Kenya, and perhaps not 

 specifically distinct, but pods are required for any certainty. 



Indigofera ? trachyphylla" Benth. ex Oliv. Hook. Ic. Pi. pi 1354. 1881; Bak. f. 

 Leg. Trop. Afr. 103. 1926. 



Kota-kota District: Nchisi Mountain, marshy ground in Brachystegia woodland, 

 plant somewhat viscid, herb 50-70 cm. high, 1400 m., July 27, 1946, 16978. 



The only pods of Indigofera trachyphylla that I have seen are on Buchanan 45, 

 and these are only up to 7 mm. long and 1.5 mm. in diameter. Brass 16978 has 

 pods up to 9 mm. long and 2-3 mm. in diameter; the greater thickness is particu- 

 larly noticeable. The material is insufficient to tell whether Brass 16978 is a dis- 

 tinct species, or whether the pods of Buchanan 45 are immature. 



/. trachyphylla has hitherto been known only from Nyasaland and N. Rhodesia. 



Indigofera lyallii Bak. Jour. Linn. Soc. Bot. 20: 128. 1883; Bak. f. Leg. Trop. 

 Afr. 161. 1926. 



Mlanje District: Mlanje Mountain; Luchenya Plateau, common in secondary 

 growths, tree or shrub up to 6 m. high and 15 cm. in diameter at breast-height, 

 fruit only, 1900 m., July 7, 1946, 16705. Nyasaland, S. Rhodesia, and Madagascar. 



Indigofera fulvopilosa Brenan, sp. nov. 



Indigofera pilosa Poir. var. multiflora Bak. f. Jour. Bot. 41: 243. 1903; Leg. Trop. Afr. 

 120. 1926. 



Blantyre District: Blantyre, in Brachystegia woodlands, herb about 50 cm. 

 high, soft brownish-pubescent, ascending, flowers brownish-red, 1100 m., June 

 18, 1946, 16360. Sierra Leone (Deighton 4870), Nigeria (Bauchi Plateau, /. Dent 

 Young 50, Lely P. 571, P. 687), Belgian Congo (Ghesquiere 4346), Uganda (Dummer 

 426, Hazel 258, 677, Chandler 1544, 1836), Tanganyika Territory (Stolz 231, 

 Rounce 6, Davies D. 278, D. 589, Geilinger 1806, Stenhouse 7, Emson 404), and 

 Nyasaland (for specimens see Bak. f. I.e. 1903). 



The characters given by Baker for his variety are so constant, corre lated and 

 well-marked that I am convinced that it should be considered as specifically dis- 



"I am most grateful to Dr. A. Cronquist for giving me his help and his opinions on my 

 identifications in this and the following genera. 



