A flora of Manila - Rainforestation

LEGUMINOSAE 241
tinged with pink, 4 to 5 mm long. Pod pubescent, slightly curved or
falcate, 1 to nearly 2 cm long, consisting of from 3 to 7 joints. (Fl. Filip.
pi. SS7, D. gangeticum.)
In thickets, Masambong, fl. Nov.-Jan.; of local occurrence in Luzon and
Palawan. Burma, the Malay Peninsula, and Java.
10. D. GANGETICUM (L.) DC.
An erect or ascending, suffrutescent, somewhat branched plant usually
about 1 m high, the stems slender, somewhat angular and grayish-pubescent.
Leaves simple, the petiole 1.5 to 2 cm long, the blades oblong-ovate, acute,
base rounded, grayish-pubescent beneath, 6 to 13 cm long, 3.5 to 7 cm wide.
Racemes lateral and terminal, ascending, slender, up to 30 cm long.
Flowers numerous pale-greenish, about 4 mm long. Pods numerous, somewhat
curved, crowded, 1.5 to 3 cm long, about 3 mm wide, consisting of
from 4 to 10 joints, pubescent.
In open, rather dry lands, San Pedro Macati, etc., fl. most of the year;
widely distributed in the Philippines, undoubtedly introduced. Tropical
Africa, and Asia, extending to Australia and Polynesia.
11. D. LASIOCARPUM (Beauv.) DC. {D. latifolium DC).
An erect, somewhat branched, suffrutescent herb or undershrub 1 m
high or less, densely and softly pubescent. Leaves simple, rarely 3-foliolate
with a pair of much reduced lateral leaflets, coriaceous, broadly ovate,
rounded or obtuse, base broadly rounded or subcordate, 4 to 8 cm long.
Racemes axillary and tei-minal, erect, solitary, densely many-flowered, 5 to
10 cm long. Flowers pink-purple, 4 to 5 mm long. Pods 1.5 to 2 cm long,
linear, about 5-jointed, slightly curved, densely covered with spreading,
hooked hairs.
In open di-y places near Fort McKinley, fl. Nov.-Dec; widely distributed
in the Philippines, probably introduced. Tropical Africa, Asia, and Malaya;
introduced in the West Indies.
24. ALYSICARPUS Necker
Erect or spreading, branched, annual herbs. Leaves simple, stipellate,
suborbicular to linear. Flowers small, in axillary or terminal racemes.
Calyx deeply toothed, the upper 2 teeth often connate. Corolla not
exserted; standard broad; keel obtuse, adhering to the wings. Stamens
diadelphous. Ovary sessile or subsessile, many-ovuled. Pod cylindric or
turgid, composed of several, indehiscent, 1-seeded joints. (Greek "chain"
and "fruit," in allusion to the jointed pods.)
Species about 15 in the tropics of the Old World, 3 in the Philippines,
possibly all introduced.
1. Leaves linear to lanceolate-linear; pods smooth; calyx equaling several
joints of the pod 1. A. bupleurifolius
1. Leaves suborbicular to oblong or oblong-lanceolate; calyx as long as the
first or the first two joints of the pod.
2. Erect or suberect often 1 m high; pods quite glabrous.. 2. A. vaginalis
2. Prostrate or spreading; pods pubescent 3. A. nummular ifolius
1. A. buplurifolius (L.) DC.
An erect, slender, branched, somewhat wiry herb 25 to 50 cm high.
Leaves linear to linear-lanceolate, 2 to 5 cm long; stipules lanceolateacuminate,
brown, 8 mm long or less. Racemes terminal, slender, inter-
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