Page:Books from the Biodiversity Heritage Library (IA mobot31753002447982).pdf/110

NEILGHERRY PLANTS. 45 only one I have seen on the Hills, but Captain Munro found a second with red seed apparently S. heptaphylla which he discovered in jungles below Nedawuttem.

DeCandolle places the tribe Sophorece at the head of his arrangement, Endlicher, I think with advantage removes it to a station more advanced, placing it next Casalpinece to which they approach through their free stamens, thus forming a connecting link between the Curvembriæ and Rectembriæ, having the Papilionaceous Corolla of the former, and the free stamens of the latter, the radicle being, moreover, less distinctly curved than in the true Papilionaceae and sometimes even straight.

SOPHORA GLAUCA (Lesch.) shrubby: leaflets 19-23, elliptical, mucronate, upper side glaucous and velvety, under villous: racemes terminal, crowded.- W. and A. Prod. p. 179.

This is an abundant and very handsome shrub in flower at all seasons. It is met with in every wood and also in the hedge rows and thickets about the houses. It is an erect growing ramous plant rising to the height of from 8 to 12 feet, particularly con- spicuous by its numerous long erect racemes of pale purple flowers. The young branches, leaf-stalks and under surface of the leaves clothed with soft velvety pubiscence. Leaves unequally pinnate, leaflet about 12 pairs, ovate oblong, mucronate, glaucous above: race- mes erect, many flowered, each flower furnished with a subulate bractea. Calyx tubular, obtusely 5 lobed, about half the length of the petals. Vexillum shorter than the wings, emarginate, retuse. Legumes tomentose monili- form. Seed oval polished hard, radicle inferior nearly straight. This very ornamental shrub merits a place in every garden and shrubbery as with a little care in pruning it might be much improved in appearance.

Calyx 5-lobed, somewhat 2-lipped; the upper lip 2-, the lower 3-cleft. Corolla: vexillum large, cordate, with scales or callosities at the base: keel falcate, usually tapering to a point, more rarely obtuse. Filaments all united; sheath usually cleft in its upper part. Legumes turgid: valves ventricose, inflated. Seeds compressed, reniform, usually several.-Herbaceous or shrubby plants. Stipules and bracteas sometimes minute or wanting, sometimes large. Leaves simple or palmately compound, with 3-5-7 leaflets. Flowers usually yellow.-W. and A. Prod. p. 180. This is a most extensive genus, in the papilionaceous tribe second only to Astragalus in the number of its species which now amount to about 250. They are generally large flowered showy plants, with very few exceptions, of tropical or subtropical origin and for the most part natives of Asia and America. In habit they are shrubby or herbaceous many of the latter very small. Though the species are thus numerous, yet they are upon the whole of easy discrimination owing to the numerous well marked groups into which they can be classed. Very few of the species are in an economical point of view useful to man. The genus being principally of tropical origin but few are found on the Hills, but those that do occur are usually among the most handsome that are met with in this part of India.

CROTALARIA BARBATA (Graham:) herbaceous, erect, densely clothed with dark brown hairs: stipules minute, inconspicuous: leaves oblong-lanceolate, blunt- ish; racemes terminal, elongated: flowers few, distant: calyx a little shorter than the corolla, deeply 5-cleft, very hairy; segments slightly falcate: legume glabrous, stalked, 2-3 times the length of the calyx, obovoid: apex of the style and stigma woolly.-W. and A. Prod. p. 181. This fine species is not uncommon in the woods about Ootacamund in moist soil near streams, &c. It attains a considerable size and is easily recognized by the unusual hairiness of all the young parts and its large conspicuous blossoms. When growing among bushes in favourable soil it sometimes attains the height of 10 or 12 feet but this is not common. It turns black in drying and in the herbarium is a course shaggy looking plant, a glance at the dissected seed fig. 10 will explain the nature of a curved radicle. CROTALARIA FORMOSA (Graham!:) erect, branch- ed, all over villous except the upper side of the leaves: stems terete stipules minute, setaceous, reflexed: leaves cuneate, obovate, obtuse, glabrous on the upper side, villous beneath: bracteas lanceolate, acuminat- ed, lower ones without flowers: flowers in a dense raceme at the extremities of the bracteated elongated branches: bracteoles setaceous, on the middle of the pedicels: calyx villous; legume oblong, broader up- wards, glabrous, about 4 times the length of the calyx, many-seeded.-W. and A. Prod. p. 186. This species is met with most in pasture grounds on the sides of the higher hills. It is very abundant along the Kaity road flowering in great perfection in February and March but is not confined to these months. It is well named "formosa" being indeed a beautiful species. It is a small erect shrubby plant from a foot and half to two feet high but in very fa- vourable situations occasionally as high as 5 feet each branch terminated as here shown, by a rich compact cluster of pale yellow flowers streaked with brown. The upper surface of the leaves is of a deep pea green the under whitish from a dense covering of white hairs. CROTALARIA WALLICHIANA (W. and A. :) herbaceous, erect, much branched, young branches irre-