XXX. LEGUMINOSiE 
181 
racemes crowded at the joints of the old branches ; stalks pubes- 
cent, thread-like, often clustered. Calyx pubescent, bell-shaped ; 
teeth 5, short, blunt, nearly equal, the 2 upper united. Petals 
white or pale pink, much longer than the calyx : standard broad, 
erect, notched ; keel slightly curved, obtuse, nearly as long as the 
wings. Upper stamens free, others united. Style incurved, 
glabrous ; stigma small. Pod glabrous, flat, 1^-3 in., composed 
of 2-5 oblong, 1-seeded, indehiscent joints. 
Sutlej valley ; March-May. — Central and N. India, ascending to 4000 ft. 
23. DESMODXTJM. From the Greek desmos, a chain, referring 
to the jointed pod. — Most tropical regions ; Cape of Good Hope, 
N. America, extra-tropical Australia. 
Shrubs, sometimes herblike ; stems erect or prostrate. Leaves 
of 3 leaflets, except D. gangeticum ; leaflets entire or sinuate, 
lateral nearly sessile, terminal one stalked, larger. Flowers 
small, in terminal or axillary, simple or branched racemes, except 
D. triflorum, often combined in panicles. Calyx bell-shaped ; 
teeth 5, the 2 upper more or less united, 3 lower, distinct, equal. 
Petals longer than the calyx : standard broad, erect ; keel nearly 
straight, obtuse. Upper stamen nearly or quite free, others united. 
Ovary usually sessile ; ovules several or many ; D. podocarpum 
has a stalked ovary and only 2 ovules ; style incurved, glabrous ; 
stigma minute. Pod flat, much longer than the calyx, more or 
less divided by constrictions into several, rarely only 2, one-seeded, 
indehiscent joints ; in D. gyrans the pod is dehiscent along the 
lower margin and does not break up into joints. 
Leaves compound. 
Flowers ^ in. long. 
Lateral leaflets nearly as long as the terminal one. 
Pod \-l in. ; joints \ in. long .... 2. D. floribundum. 
Pod 2-2^ in. ; joints nearly \ in. long . . 3. D. tilicefolium. 
Lateral leaflets less than J the length of the ter- 
minal one 10. D. gyrans. 
Flowers J- in. long or less. 
Stems erect or nearly so. Terminal leaflet 1 in. 
or more. 
Pod stalked. Flowers in. long . . . 1. D. podocarpum. 
Pod sessile. Flowers J in. long. 
Leaflets lanceolate, long-pointed, sinuate . 5. D. sequax. 
Leaflets ovate or ovate-oblong, entire. 
Leaflets ovate-oblong ; terminal one 2-3 in. 
Upper margin of pod wavy, lower deeply 
indented 6. D. concinnum. 
Leaflets ovate ; terminal one 1-2 in. Upper 
margin of pod straight, lower slightly in- 
dented 7. D. polycarpum. 
Stems prostrate or trailing. Terminal leaflet ^ in. 
or less. 
Flowers in leaf-opposed clusters, not racemed. 
Upper margin of pod not indented . . 8. D. triflorum. 
Flowers in racemes. Upper margin of pod 
deeply indented . . . . . 9. D. parvifolium. 
Leaves simple . 4. D. gangeticum. 
