DOL'ICHOS LIGNO'SUS. 
WOODY DOLICHOS. 
Class. Order. 
DIADELPHIA. DECANDR1 A . 
Natural Order. 
LEGUM1N OSA5. 
Native of 
Height. 
Flowers in 
Duration. 
Introduced 
E. Indies. 
8 feet. 
August. 
Perennial. 
in 1776. 
No. 405. 
Dolichos is a Greek word, signifying long. The 
term has been said, by some authors, to apply to 
the tall climbing stems of the plant ; but this is less 
probable than that it bore allusion to the seed pods 
of some of its species, which attain the length of 
two feet, and form a most striking character. Lig- 
nosus, from the Latin lignum, wood ; adopted to 
mark its woody stems. 
The present plant is nearly related to our last 
subject, the Lablab vulgaris, and is also native of 
the same hot climate. It has successively been the 
nursling of the stove, the green-house, and the open 
garden ; and in its perennial character, in sheltered 
situations, has been proved to bear our milder 
winters. We are the more anxious to introduce it 
on account of the paucity of climbers that are moder- 
ately hardy; and also on account of the beauty 
they display when assisted by the various ornamen- 
tal supports which are now introduced for the ex- 
clusive purpose of training and displaying them. 
Two of the plants of this genus, the Dolichos 
urens and Dolichos pruriens, are important, medi- 
cinally considered, amongst the Indians. The latter 
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