Phaca.] LEGUiMINOS^. 14S 



7. P. nigrescens ; obscure appresso-pilosa, caule erecto vel decumbente ramoso striato, 

 foliolis 8-10-jngis oblongis obtusis basi subcuneatis, racemis folio plerumque longioribus, 

 stipulis 2:)arvis ovatis subacutis basi connatis, calycis dentibus tubo paulo brevioribus, 

 leguminibus stipitatis oblongis membranaceis compressls glabris, 



Radix perennis. Caules nunc erecti strictiusculi, nunc decumbentes fiexuosi, striati, ramosi, siepc purpur- 

 ascentes, parce pilosi, pilis albis spai-sis appressis. Folia remota, dijjfitulia. Foliola 17-2), plerumque 

 opposita, vix unciam longa, oblonga, obtusa, basi subcuneata, viridia, in planta sicca fructifcra nigrcscentia, 

 supra glabra, subtus appresso-pilosa, Tiractem ovat?e, acuminafae, parvsej inferiores conrtftfae, bifidre. Macemi 

 asillares, elougati, laxi, brevissime pedunculati, foliis vix excedentes, demum fructiferi lonjflorcs. Flares 

 ^ parvi. Bracte(B lanceolatae, acuminatse, membranaceae, pedicellis brevibus longiores ciliatae. Calyx cara- 

 panulatus, superne praecipue pubescens, 5-dentatus ; dentibus lato-subiilatis, tubo subaeque longis. Corolla 

 dba vel ochroleuca. Germen lineare, glabrum, stipitatuna, stipite tubi cftlycis longitiuVme, stylo sursum 

 curvato brevius. Legumina unclalia, nutantia, fusco-nigrescentia, obloiiga, valde compressa, menibrauacco, 

 glabra, basi in stipitem calycem duplo lougiorera attcnuata, apice stylo curvato terminata, plerumque recta, 

 nonnun<juara paululum falcato-curvata, 



Hab. On the Saskatchawan, to the Rocky Mountains, and as fur north as Fort-Franklin, on the Mac- 

 kenzie River, in lat. Q5°. Dr. Richardson; Dntmmond. — Although extremely plentiful in the localities jnst 

 mentioned, the present Phaca does not seem to have been knou-n to any author. Its habit, like many of the 

 North American Phacw, is similar to that of several species iu that division of Astragali to which A, cana- 

 densis belongs ; but the seed-vessel is here truly that of the present genus, though couslderably compressed. 



8. P,? ccBSpitosa ; acaulis, ca^s^^itosa, sericeo-nitens, foliis trifoliolatis longe petiolatis, 

 foliolis lanceolatis, stipulis magnis ovatis albo-membraiiaceis tenerrimis, floribus aggre- 

 gatis sessilibus, leguminibus oblongo-ovatis terctibus sericeis calyce tcctis. (Tab. LV.) 



•Nutt Gen. Am. v, 2. /?. 98. De Cand, Prodr. v. 2. p, 274. — Astragalus triphjilus. 

 Pursk, U. Am, r. 2. p, 740. (non PalL) 



Radix perennis, crassa, fuslformis, sublonge descendens, apice multiceps : sed caules nulli vel brevlssimi 

 csespitosi. Folia numerosa, longe petiolata, undique pulchernme sericeo-villosa, nitentia, 3- (5, Ntttt,) 

 -foliolata, foliolis digitatis sessilibus lanceolatis basi attenuatis apice acutis. Stipulm ad basin petioli, magnie, 

 ovataj, membranaceae, albse, tenemmte, cito lacerabe. Flores aggregate, sessiles ad basin foliorum. Corol- 

 lam perfectam nou vidi. Calyx cylindraceo-campanulatus, villosus, ore 5-deutato, dentibus subulatis. Legu- 

 men oblongo-ovatum, teres, coriaceo-membranaceura, sericeum, sessile, apice in stylura liliformem llexuosum 

 attenuatum, calyce persistente fere oranino tectum, uniloculare, intus subspongiosum. Semina subdecem, 

 rotundato-reniformia, podospermo longiusculo suffulta. 



Hab. Between Carlton-Housc and Edraonton-House, on the Saskatchawan. Dr, Richardson; Drummond, 



The whole habit and the inflorescence of this plant are so much at variance with those of Phaca, that I 



cannot but consider it a very doubtful species of this genus. The fruit, however, accords with it. Pursh, 

 who first described it under the name of Astragalus triphgllus, and whose short character perfectly agrees with 

 our plant, seems to have had specimens, like ray own, without flowers. He gives it as a native of Upper 

 Lousiana, on the authority of Bradbury. Nuttall describes the corolla as ochroleucous : the leaves as some- 

 times quinate, (which I do not find to be the case,) and he does not notice the beautifully silvery hue of the 

 whoTe plant, but calls it " canescently villous." His specimens are from gravelly hills near the confluence 

 of the Sawanee River with the Missouri. 

 Tab. LV. Phaca? cwspitosa. Fig. 1. Withered flower; Jig. 2, Legume enveloped by the calyx; ^g, 3, 



Legume removed from the calyx; Jig. 4, Legume laid open; Jig. 5, Seed; Jig. 6, Leaf ;— all more or less 



magnijied. 



* ♦ Florihtts purpurascentibiis cut aibo et violaceo pictis, 



9, P. Ahoriginorum; pubescenti-canaj caule erecto parce ramoso striate, foliolis sub-5- 



