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rióse, partially enveloping the branch, terminating in a long
bristle-shaped point. Spikes axillary, solitary, stalked, ovate-
oblong, erect, about 3 inches long. Flowers sessile, scattered.
Bractes ovate, concave, persistent, scariose, shorter than the
calyx, furnished with a long, slender point. Calyx companu-
late, membranous, with 5 long, slender, awl-shaped, feathery,
nearly equal teeth, exceeding the corolla in length. Corolla
of a lake red. Vexillum broad, obcordate, with folded sides,
and marked with deeper coloured veins, with a whitish cucullate
base. Keel compressed, hollow, saccate, truncate and
notched at the top, auriculate at the base, formed of 2 concrete
petals. Wings very short, nearly abortive, dolabriform,
truncate. Stamens diadelphous, nearly equal. Filaments glabrous,
almost white. Anthers oblong, orange. Ovarium round,
slightly compressed, copiously silky. Style slender, capillary,
glabrous. Stigma a minute dot. Pod enclosed in the calyx,
with one, or more rarely 2 seeds.
A very elegant little shrub, with much the habit of an
Onobrychis, and well suited to ornament rockwork, being
found to be perfectly hardy, and growing in almost any kind
of light of earth. It is increased by seeds and cuttings.
The plant is abundant on the Sphachian mountains, in
Candia, and was sent to Prosper Alpinus by a correspondent
in that Island, as the Ebenus f r uticos a of Theophrastus, which
most probably meant the Medicago arbórea. The ebony of
commerce is well known to be the wood of Diospyros Ebe-
num. D. Don.
h: Iitv ■
1. Calyx and bracte. 2. Stamens. 3 . Pistil.
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