223. Flowers in heads surrounded by large imbricate bracts. Lowest calyx-lobe very large, petaloid. Standard ovate or oblong; wings oblong. (See 157.) =Liparia= L. Flowers solitary or in racemes, umbels, or heads with small or medium-sized bracts. Lowest calyx-lobe equalling or slightly exceeding the others. Standard suborbicular; wings obovate. Bracteoles bristle-like. (See 157.) =Priestleya= DC. 224. Stem herbaceous or woody at the base only. 225 Stem woody throughout. 241 225. Uppermost stamen united with the others at least in its lower half. 226 Uppermost stamen free from the others throughout or at the base. 229 226. Ovule 1. Ovary sessile. Style slender. Calyx-teeth long and pointed. Petals shortly clawed. Fruit enclosed by the calyx, ovate, indehiscent. Flowers 1-3 in the axils of the leaves.--Species 6. South Africa (Cape Colony). =Hallia= Thunb. Ovules 2 or more. Fruit dehiscing by two valves. 227 227. Style bearded. Ovary more or less distinctly stalked. Seeds with an aril. Leaves reduced to the broadened or tendril-bearing petiole. (See 128.) =Lathyrus= L. Style glabrous. Leaves unifoliolate. 228 228. Style short and broad. Ovary sessile. Petals red, long-clawed. Fruit compressed. Leaflets entire. Stipules awl-shaped. Flowers very small, in axillary racemes.--Species 5. Central Africa to Transvaal. =Microcharis= Benth. Style awl-shaped. Ovary more or less distinctly stalked. Calyx deeply divided. Petals short-clawed. Leaflets toothed. Stipules adnate to the leaf-stalk. Flowers 1-3 in the axils of the leaves. (See 129.) =Ononis= L. 229. Uppermost stamen united with the others in the middle, at least when young, free at the base, later sometimes free throughout. 230 Uppermost stamen free from the base or nearly from the base. 234 230. Fruit jointed. 231 Fruit not jointed. 232 231. Upper calyx-lobes separate. Wings small; standard subsessile. Ovary stalked. Ovules 1-3. Leaflets without stipels. Flowers in axillary, few-flowered racemes, with small bracteoles.--Species 5. Nileland and Island of Socotra. =Taverniera= DC. Upper calyx-lobes more or less united. Wings oblong, adhering to the keel. Ovules 2 or more. Leaflets usually with stipels.--Species 40. Tropical and South Africa. Some are used as ornamental, medicinal, or textile plants. (_Meibomia_ Moehr.) =Desmodium= Desv. 232. Flowers very small, in pairs in the axils of the leaves, with minute bracteoles. Fruit oblong, with a membranous pericarp, indehiscent. Leaflets without stipels.--Species 2. South Africa to Angola. =Sylitra= E. Mey. Flowers not very small, in usually terminal or leaf-opposed racemes. Fruit with a more or less herbaceous pericarp, dehiscing by two valves. 233 233. Flowers with rather large bracteoles, violet. Ovary shortly stalked. Stigma penicillate. Fruit 4-winged, septate. Stem twining. Leaflets with stipels. Stipules spurred.--Species 4. Tropics. The roots and the fruits are used as vegetables. (_Botor_ Adans.) =Psophocarpus= Neck.