tial ones m pairs, elliptical, obtuse, concave, seated at the
base ot the calyx, which is campanulate, downy, purplish
the ower l.p of 3 lanceolate acute teeth, the upper one
shorter and notched. Pods short, broad, scymeter-shaped
pubescent, tuberculate, about 2 inches long, attenuated at
w!ck persistent style. Seeds compressed.
This IS cultivated in India, China, Egypt, ^nd many other
countries of the East, and also in the West India Islands
on account of its pods, which are prepared and eaten in the’
same manner as kidney-beans; and, although a variety of
It has been long cultivated in the gardens as an ornamental
plant, we do not know that the present one has been used
until latel^y for that purpose. It is an extremely showy
plant, and is admirably suited for being trained to trellis-
work, or over a verandah. Mr. Little (at whose Nursery,
King s-road Chelsea, our drawing was taken, in September
last,) has culuvated it for some years as an ornamental plant
and he finds it to be quite as hardy, and to require the same
treatment as the kidney-bean.
Although cultivated in Egypt, and Arabia, from time
immemorial, it does not appear to be indigenous to either of
those countries but was, most probably, originally introduced
from India. Like many other plants, which have been
tor a long series of years in cultivation, this, as might be
expected, has produced several remarkable varieties ■ but
none of them, in my opinion, are entitled to be ranked as
species, as many botanists appear disposed to think. The
plaik IS increased by seeds, which ripen in the open air.
Ih e name Lablab, means simply, in Arabic, a twinino-
pJaRt. and is applied indiscriminately to the Convolvulut
and many others of similar habit. Besides giving it a Latin
termination, which, I think, should always be done in the
case of barbarous words adopted as generic names, into botanical
nomenclature, I have, also, changed the b into v a
liberty which the genius of the Arabic allows. D. Don.
of rZ S “ ' 'T F Corolla, showing the sitnaraie
^>*0 9 «oited Stamens.’ 6. Ten?h Stamen
tion
s e p a ra te . 7. P is til. 8. P o d .
Correction in the preceding Number.
Fol. 232, line 7 from the bottom, for “ corsm,” read “ cost®.