THE BONAVIST, LABLAB, OR HYACINTH BEAN". 5 
walled acinaciform pods, which open easily. The description is 
detailed, and the author evidently grew the plant he describes. Savi 
identifies with his species a variety from Egypt described by Alpino ; 
one cultivated in Japan, but originally from Nankin, China, de- 
scribed by Kaempfer; one from Jamaica described by Sloane; and 
one from Jamaica and Barbados described by Plukenet. It is hardly 
likely that all of these are the same variety, even if they agree in the 
diagnostic characters set forth by Savi. 
Lablab leucocarpos Savi (17, p. 120) is described as having white 
flowers, subglobose, black or reddish black seeds, and white, fleshy, 
acinaciform pods, which shrink in drying. The long, detailed de- 
scription suggests a variety very similar to, if not identical with, 
S. P. L No. 31363. The source of the variety is not stated, but Savi 
received the seed under the name Dolichos lablah siliqua eduli, that 
is, Dolichos lablab with edible pods. 
Lablab microcarpus De Candolle (3, p. 402) is based on the plant 
described and figured by Eumphius (16, p. 390, pi. 141, fig. 1) under 
the name Cacara litorea. It is a seashore plant, apparently a species 
of Canavalia near to C. turgida. 
Dolichos lignosus Linnaeus (10) is probably distinct from the 
bonavist, but there is much difference of opinion among botanists as 
to the actual identit}^ of the plant. Linnseus's original description 
and figure of Dolichos lignosus (9) were based on a plant, supposedly 
from America, that bloomed but did not fruit in Clifford's garden in 
Holland. It is described as perennial, woody stemmed, and with 
red or purple flowers. The figure shows a plant much like the 
bonavist, but with smaller leaflets. Linaeus also cites as identical 
with his plant " Phaseolus indicus perennis floribus purpurascenti- 
bus. Hort. Caroisrh. 36." 
In 1753, when Linnaeus (10) gave the name Dolichos lignosus to 
the plant he had described in 1737 (9), he modified his description 
by stating that the pods were strictly linear and that the habitat 
of the plant was unknown. Inasmuch as the original plant of lig- 
nosus in Clifford's garden did not produce pods, it would be a matter 
of interest to determine on what basis Linnaeus decided 16 years later 
that they were strictly linear. 
In 1763 Linnaeus (11, p. 1022) repeats his description made in 
1753 (10), but adds as a synonym, "Cacara s. Phaseolus perennis 
Eumph. Amb. 5, p. 378, t. 136," and "Habitat in India." 
Eumphius (16, pi. 136) shows a plant, clearly the bonavist, with 
the immature pods nearly straight and of about the same width at 
base and apex, very similar to S. P. I. No. 21998 (PI. I). 
It is from this figure of Eumphius that- most later writers have 
interpreted Dolichos lignosus. Eumphius's figure, however, differs 
