Flora Medica

FABACE.S, OR LEGUMINOS^.f.. ind. iii. 283. (Rheede viii. t. 35. Rumph.vi. t. 142.)Hedges and banks all over the East Indies.Leaflets hairy underneath ; the middle one rhomboidal and obtuse,the lateral ones dilated on the outer edge. Flowers purple, in compactovate racemes. Teeth of the calyx short, triangular. Legumes oblong,curved, compressed, not keeled, covered all over with althick coatingof erect, white, stinging hairs, which usually turn black in drying andbrown when ripe.526. M. pruriens D C. prodr.ii. 405. i.Mac/ad, fl.jam. 294.Bot. reg. 1838. t. 18. Dolichos pruriens Linn. sp. pi. 1020.Jacq. amer. 201. t. 122. S. and C. iii. t. 179. Common inwoods in the West Indies, along river courses, upon fences, andin waste neglected places.Leaflets entire, ovate, acute, smooth above, hairy beneath ;the lateralones oblique at the base, the middle one slightly rhomboidal. Racemeslax, many-flowered, interrupted, 1-1 A foot long. Calyx hairy, pink,with narrow lanceolate segments. Flowers with a disagreeable alliaceoussmell; vexillum flesh-coloured, wings purple or violet, keel greenishwhite. Legume about 3 inches long, the thickness of the finger,closely covered with strong, brown, stinging hairs. Seeds oblong,variegated, with a white hilum. The hairs of these two species constitutethe substance called Cowitch, a mechanical anthelmintic. It isadministered in mixture with thick syrup, honey or some such substance,in doses of a dessert spoonful, and should be followed by a briskpurgative.BUTEA.Calyx campanulate, bilabiate ;upper lip almost entire ; lower3-fid. Corolla papilionaceous;petals equally long : vexillumovate, recurved : keel and alae incurved. Stamens diadelphous.Style ascending. Stigma small, glandular. Legume stalked,compressed, thin, membranous, with a large solitary compressedseed at the apex. Unarmed trees or twining shrubs. Leavespinnately 3-foliolate ; leaflets large, roundish-ovate, pubescentor tomentose on the under side, with partial stipules. Racemesmany-flowered. Flowers in threes, pedicelled, with 2 bracteolesat or near the base of the calyx. W, and A.527. B. frondosa Roxb. corom. i. t. Vl.fl. ind. iii. 244. DC.prodr. ii. 415. W. and A. i. 261. Erythrina monospermaLam. encyc. i. 391. (Rheede vi. 1. 16. and 17.) Circars, Travancore,Negapatam.A tree. Branches very irregularly bent in various directions. Youngshoots downy. Leaves alternate, spreading, ternate, from 8 to 16 incheslong; leaflets emarginate, or rounded at the apex, leathery, above shining,and pretty smooth ;below slightly hoary, en tire, the lateral ones obliquelyoval, from 4 to 6 inches long, and from 3 to 4 broad, the terminal oneobovate, and considerably larger. Petiole round, when young downy,as long as the leaflets. Stipules of the petioles small, recurved, downy,those of the leaflets subulate. Racemes terminal, axillary, formingtuberosities over the naked woody branchlets, rigid, covered with a254