78 
MERRILL. 
Zambales, For. Bur. 5863 Curran: Province of Bulacan, Yoder 127: Province of 
Rizal, Bur. Sci. 1846: Province of Bataan, Merrill 3787, Williams 80. 
In open grass-lands at low and medium altitudes in the Philippines; cos- 
mopolitan in the tropics. 
47. DESMODIUM Desv. 
Leaves 3-foliolate. 
Pod distinctly divided into several 1-seeded joints which ultimately separate. 
Bracts large, orbicular, persistent, foliaceous, inclosing the flowers; an 
erect shrub .. 1. D. pulchellum 
Bracts very small or none. 
Flowers arranged in axillary or panicled umbels; shrubs or small trees. 
Umbels axillary; leaflets broad at the apex, round, obtuse or very 
obscurely and broadly acuminate. 
Leaflets small, 1 to 1.8 cm long 2. D. cumingianum 
Leaflets ample, mostly 5 to 10 cm long 3. D. umbellatum 
Umbels arranged in terminal or . axillary panicles ; leaflets gradually 
narrowed upward to the acuminate or acute apex. 
4. D. quinquepetalum 
Flowers not umbellate; shrubs or herbs. 
Pods not sinuate, the segments indehiscent, 3 to 5 times as long as 
broad. 
Erect, suffrutescent; leaflets ovate, ample, 7 to 16 cm long, acute or 
acuminate f 5. D. laxiflorum 
Herbaceous, spreading; leaflets small, 2 to 4 cm long, or in luxuriant 
forms rarely 6 cm long, elliptic, obtuse, rounded, or retuse. 
6. D. scorpiurus 
Segments of the pods dehiscent or indehiscent, not manifestly longer 
than broad, or if so, then deeply sinuate. 
Pods not stipitate, the segments indehiscent, as broad as long, 
spirally twisted, both sutures deeply indented; herbaceous. 
8. D. procunibens 
Pods stipitate, the segments longer than broad, the upper suture 
straight, . the lower very deeply sinuate, the constrictions reaching 
nearly to the upper suture; shrubby. 
Leaves quite glabrous; pod long exserted, its. stipe usually much 
longer than the first segment 9. D. laxum 
Leaves more or less pubescent; stipe shorter than the first seg- 
ment. 
Flowers 8 to 10 mm long; pods with 2 to 4 joints.... 10. D. scalpe 
Flowers 3 to 4 mm long; pods with 1 or 2 joints. 
11. D.podocarpum 
• Pods not stipitate; both sutures slightly indented; calyx- teeth short, 
deltoid; shrubs. 
Plant rather strongly pubescent; leaflets rhomboid-ovate, repand; 
pod with from 8 to* 12 joints 12. D. sinuatum 
Plant only slightly pubescent; leaflets elliptic-oblong, entire; pod 
with 4 joints L 13. D. bolsteri 
Pods not stipitate; upper suture straight, the lower deeply in- 
dented; herbaceous 14. D . malacophyllum 
Pods not stipitate, the segments as long as broad, the upper suture 
straight, the lower slightly sinuate, dehiscent. 
Racemes dense in both flower and fruit; shrubby, erect or prostrate 
plants. 
