^76 Transactions of the Boyal Society of South Africa. 
to acknowledge the assistance rendered by Mr. A. J. Jennings at the 
commencement of the work, which he had to subsequently relinquish, 
owing to an appointment abroad. 
The genera Lotononis/^ Ecklon and Zeyher, and Pleisopora, Harvey, 
constitute groups of the Order Leguminosae, which were assigned a position 
by Bentham intermediate between Lebeckia and Aspalathus, on the one 
hand, and Bafnia on the other, in the tribe Genisteae. As a brief review 
of each genus precedes the enumeration of its species, it will only be 
necessary to tabulate the differences distinguishing these genera. 
Carina curved. Style curved,! not geniculate = Lotononis. 
Carina straight. Style straight, in line with the ovary.]: Pleiospora. 
LOTONONIS, Ecklon and Zeyher, Enum. PI. 176 (1835). 
The genus Lotononis, numbering approximately 108 species, displays 
considerable superficial polymorphism, as may be inferred by the fact that 
prior to Bentham' s conception of the genus, the species then known were 
scattered over seven genera, but subsequently the author alluded to, 
recognising the uniformity of the more salient characters, reduced these to 
sections, which, on the whole being perfectly natural, were adopted (and 
slightly amplified) by Harvey, and are accepted here, with the exception 
of the § Oxydium, whose units (owing to the presence of a rostrate carina 
and its correlated genufiexed style), exhibit a greater affinity to the genus 
Crotalaria, to which they are consequently referred. The expediency of 
this step is apparent, when a close study of the calyx of either of the genera 
is instituted, and contrasting points, which have been considered of great 
import by systematists, are recognised to be variable to both groups ; § 
hence the necessity of seizing upon more stable characters of which the 
absence or presence respectively of the rostrum in this instance appears to 
be the most satisfactory point of distinction, the turgidity of the pods 
being peculiar to both genera and therefore a point of secondary impor- 
tance. Similarly to emphasise the stability of the genus under considera- 
tion, and to obviate any overlapping, certain recently described species of 
Lotononis have been referred to Pearsonia, mihi,\\ while Buchenroedera 
* This genus is ascribed by some authors to De Candolle, who, despite its authorship, 
used it, however, only in a sectional sense ; it was subsequently raised to generic rank 
by Ecklon and Zeyher. 
f This character is dependent upon the relative age of the flower ; after fertilisation 
the style often assumes a different shape. 
+ Cf. Journal of Botany, Nov. (1912), 353-358. 
§ Mr. E. Baker, who is engaged on a monograph of the African Crotalarias is disposed 
to agree with me in this matter. 
II Cf. Journal of Botany, ^OY. (1912), 353-358. 
