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Hedysarum capitatum. Sceptre- 

 flowered HEDYSARUM. 

 -#- -#- x- 4ft Jjs ♦ * $ -#- * -%■%-% # $ #■•$--# ♦ 

 C/tf/i a;/./ Order, 



DlADELPHIA DtCANDRIA. 



Generic Char utter. 

 Cat. 5-fidus. CV. carina tranfverfe obtufa. Lomenlum arti- 

 culis l-fpermis compreffis. 



Specific Character and Synonyms. 

 HEDYSARUM capitatum j caule decumbente, foliis pinnatis, 

 foJiolis obovatis, fJoribus racemofo-capitatis 

 pedunculis folio longionbus. IVillJ. Sp. PL 3. 

 1 2 1 o. Desjont. At I. 2. p. 177. 



D^.sc. Stems decumbent. Leaves pinnated: leaflets ellip- 

 tical, in eight diftant pairs, filky underneath. Stipules mem- 

 branaceous, ftriate, ciliate, ovate-acuminate, and frequently 

 fy'u at the point. Peduncles axillary, fu!cate, longer than the 

 leaf. Flowers pale purplifh red, growing in a fpike-fhaped 

 raceme, or lengthened capirulum, on very fhort pedicles, patent 

 on firlt opening, but, after deflorefcence, railed clofe to the 

 rachis. Bra8e one under each flower, ovate-acuminate, ciliate, 

 twice as long as pedicle. Calyx deeply divided into five fub- 

 ulatr tegmems, all inclined downwards and the two upper 

 ones diftant. Fexillum very little longer than the carina; alts 

 inorter, fometimes very fmall, imperfeel, and attached firmly 

 to the carina. Lomentmn (which Willdenow diftinguifhes 

 from a Legumen, becaufe although compofed of two valves 

 w >th a future on each fide, the valves do not as in the latter open 

 todifcharge the matured feed) has five or fix joints. We havefecn 

 » only i n an unripe ftate. The whole plant is fomewhat hoary. 



A hardy perennial ; native of Mount Caucafus ; has flowered 

 jeveral years in Mr. Loddiges's garden, in July and Augujf, 

 J>ut has not produced perfett feeds. The feeds were fent under 



e name of Hedysarum flexuofum. which is an annual and a 

 ttuch larger plant. . 



Hedysarum capitatum and pallidum of D e s > o N T a i n e S do 

 appear to be very accurately diftlnguifhed ; our plant cor- 



Ponds, in molt refpects, with his defcriptions of both ; nor are 

 hu U , re tnat e 'ther ought to be feparated from Hedysarum 

 rac ' *" ^ ^ G m °'* ^ ri ' an S Mature in our plant is the fhape of the 

 bul m \ Wn ' c .^ before the flowers begin to expand is nearly glo- 

 Whfh • aS " ^ en S tnens » the old flowers rife clofe to the rachis, 

 Part f L* 1Ve eraceme a more contracted appearance at the lower 

 Patent ana * w ^ iere tne recently expanded flowers are quite 



