CHORIZEMA rhombea.
Variable-leaved Chorizema.
Linnean Class and Order. DECANDRIA MONOGYNIA.
Natural Order. LEGUMINOSÆ. DC. prodr. 2. p. 93.
Subordol. PAPILI ON A CEÆ— Tribus I. Sophoreæ. Supra fol.5.
CHORIZEMA. Calyx semi-5-fidns bilabiatus, labio superiore bifido, inferiore
3-partito. Corolla carinà ventricosà alis breviore. Stylus brevis uncinatus. Stigma
obliqimm obtuaum. Legumen ventricosum 1-loenlare polyspermum sessile aut subses-
sile.—SufFrutices Australasici. Folia alterna simplicia sinuato-dentata aut integra.
DC. prodr. 2. p. 102.
C. rhombea, ramis elongatis virgatis diffuso-procumbentibns sericeo-pilosis, foliis in-
tegerrimis planis mucronatis : inferioribus rhombeo-orbicnlatis : snmmis elliptico-
lanceolatis, racemis paucifloris, leguminibus magnis oblongis reticulatis.
Chorizema rhombea. Brown Hort. Kew. ed. 2. v. 3. p. 9. DC. prodr. 2. p. 103. Spreng,
syst. 2. p. 349. Swt. hört. brit. p. 108.
A small suffruticose plant, very much branched: branches
trailing, the points ascending, spreading round in all directions
to a great length if allowed, very slender, cylindrical, thinly
clothed with prostrate white hairs, which are close pressed to
the stem. Leaves very variable, flat or sometimes very slightly
revolute at the margin, underneath reticulately veined, and
thinly clothed with close pressed white hairs, most plentiful on
the nerves; lower ones broadly ovate, obtuse, rhomboidally-or-
bicular or oblong, others obovate, elliptic, elliptically lanceolate,
or lanceolately linear, scarcely acute. Petioles very short, pubescent.
Stipules subulate, broader at the base. Racemes
terminal and axillary, few-flowered. Flowers orange-coloured,
the wings darker. Peduncles thinly clothed with close pressed
hairs. Pedicles smooth and glossy. Bractes subulate, two a
little below the calyx, and one at the base of the pedicle. Calyx
smooth, 2 -lipped: upper lip slightly bifid, the laciniae rounded:
lower lip 3 -parted, the lacinise broadly lanceolate, scarcely acute.
Vexillum very broad and flat, notched in the centre, the lobes