250 LEGUMINOSiE. [Astragalus. 



Columbia, on the West side of the Rocky Mountains. Douglas,— :^l possess the Asiatic A, adsurgens and Ai 

 Laxmanni from Dr. Fischer and Air. Prescott ; but I am unable to distinguish them specifically. Our speci- 

 mens from America seem to be identical with them. Flowers purple-blue. 



Labradoricus 



■De Cand, 



pedunculatis, leguminibus secundis rectis utrinque acuminatis pendulis. Fh- 



Prodr, V. 2. p, 287. — A. secundus. Mich. Am. v. 2. p. 67. Pursh^ Fl. Am. v. 2. p. 473. 



(not De Cand.) 



Hab. North of Canada. Michaux. Labrador. Colmaster, (in Pursh.)—T!he flowers are described as 

 purple. With the imperfect characters of this plant given in Michaux and Pursh, it is impossible to say 

 whether it ought not to be referred to some well known-species. 



6. A. melanocarpus ; incano-sericeus, caulibus brevibus decumbentibus, stipulis ovatis 

 acutis, foliolis 8-10-jugis ovalibus utriiique acutis nunc obovatis obtusis, racemis capitatis 

 laxis 6-8-floris folio longioribus longeque pedunculatis, floribus patentibus, leguminibus 

 patentibus elliptico-oblongis coriaceis subunilocularibus nigro-fuscis rugosis, — A. nielano- 

 parpon. " Frazer's Cat'* Rich, in Frankl. 1st Joum. ed. 2. App, p. 28. — A. Missouri- 

 ensis? Nutt. (excl. syn. A. argentata^ Pursh.) 



h 



Radix liguosa, subfusiformis, sublonge descendens, parce ramosa. Caules plurimi, decumbentes, breves, 

 3-4- uncias longi, suffruticosi, superne praecipue incani, foUosi. Folia subdigitem longa; foliolis 8-10-jugis, 

 plerumque oppositis, 3-5-linearibus utrinque petioloque pilis numerosis brevibus sericeis appressis, incanis, 

 nitidis, ovalibus, utrinque acutis, nunc obovatis, obtusis. Pedunculus folio longior, incanus. Macemus ovalis, 

 laxus, 5-9-florus; floribus majusculis cseruleo-purpurascentibus albisque. Bractece lanceolato-subulatse, 

 pedicellis brevibus longiores. Calyx oblongus, pilis albidis appressis subsericeus, dentibus aubulatis tubo 

 subdimidio brevioribus. Vexillum carina alisque longius. Legumen patens, unciam longum, ovali-oblongxmi, 

 subcompressum, coriaceum, transversim rugosum, marginatum, nigro-fuscum, breviter acuminatum, demum 

 glabrum, fere omnino imiloculare, polyspeimum, sutura paululum inflexa. 



Hab. Plains of the Saskatchawan, and Eagle and Red-Deer hills of the same river. Dr. Richardson; 

 Douglas ; Drummond. — Dr. Richardson doubts if the A. Missouriensis of Nuttall be the same with this 

 plant. The description in many respects accords; but the calyx is said to be clothed with black hairs; and in 

 our specimens the suture of the legiunen is so little introflexed, that they seem to have as strong a claim to 

 be ranked with Phaca as with Astragalus, The species is an exceedingly beautiful one : the flowers being 

 of a deep purplish-blue, varied with white; the leaflets sometimes, as in Mr. Douglas* specimens, about the 

 size, and of the shape, of the leaves of Thymus vulgaris; at other times, as in Mr. Drummond's specimens, 

 twice or thrice that size, always thickly clothed with soft silky hairs. 



7. A. caryocarpus; multlceps, prostrato-assurgens, pilis appressis subhirtus, stipulis 

 ovatis acutis, foliolis 9-12-jugis ellipticis, pedunculis folio brevioribus, racemis capitatis 

 laxis, " leguminibus nuciformi-inflatis rugosis mucronatis glabris polyspermis." — «. 

 calycibus dense pubescenti-hirsutis. A. caryocarpus. Ker in Bot, Reg. t 176. De Cand* 

 Prodr. V. 2. p. 287. — "A. crassicarpus. Fraser's Cat 1813."— A. carnosus. NuU, Gen. 

 .V. 2. p, 100. (non Purshii.) — ^, calycibus appresso-pilosis subsericeis, pilis raris nigris. 



A. succulentus. Rich, in FranM. \st Journ. ed. 2. App. p. 29. Lindi. in Bot Reg. t 1324. 



* 



Hab. Hilly grounds of the Saskatchawan, especially about Carlton-House. Dr. Richardson ; Drunv- 

 mond; Douglas.—Po^sessmg as I do, from JVIr. Nuttall, an original specimen of A. caryocarpus, ( A. car- 

 nosus, Nutt.), and of the A. succidmtus, from my valued frieud Dr. Richardson, I am compelled to say 

 that they are not specifically distinct. Nor can I find any difference between them, except that in the true 



