3 82 



FABACEAE. 



VOL. II. 



10. Astragalus alpinus L. Alpine Milk Vetch. Fig. 2543. 



Astragalus alpinus L. Sp. PI. 760. 1753. 

 Phaca astragalina DC. Astrag. 64. 1803. 

 A. alpinus Brunetinus Fernald, Rhodora 10 : 91. 1908. 



Ascending or decumbent, branched" from the base 6'-i5' 

 high, slightly pubescent, or glabrous. Stipules ovate, folia- 

 ceous, 2 "-3" long; leaflets 13-25, oval or elliptic, obtuse 

 or retuse, narrowed or rounded at the base, 3"-6" long; 

 flowers violet, the keel commonly darker, in short racemes ; 

 peduncles mostly exceeding the leaves ; pod i-celled, some- 

 what flattened, membranous, stipitate, pendent, dehiscent, 

 rather densely black-pubescent, oblong, acute, somewhat 

 inflated, about 6" long, deeply furrowed on the under 

 side ; calyx dark-pubescent. 



On rocks, Maine and Vermont to Newfoundland and Lab- 

 rador, west to Alaska and British Columbia, south in the 

 Rocky Mountains to Colorado. Also in northern Europe and 

 Asia. June. 



ii. Astragalus Blakei Eggleston. Blake's 

 Milk Vetch; Fig. 2544. 



A. Robbinsii accidentally S. Wats. Bot. King's Exp. 

 70. 1871. 



A. Robbinsii Jesupi "Eggleston & Sheldon, Bull. Geol. 

 Nat. Hist. Surv. Minn. 9 : 155. 1894. 



A. Blakei Eggleston, Bot. Gaz. 20: 271. 1895. 

 A. Jesupi Britton, Man. 1048. 1901. 



Similar to the two preceding species, but stem 

 rather stouter, erect or nearly so, up to 20' high, 

 sparingly pubescent. Leaflets 9-15, oblong to 

 elliptic, obtuse or emarginate, glabrous above, 

 pubescent beneath; corolla whitish or bluish 

 purple, 5"-6" long; pod i' long or less, pubescent, 

 swollen, somewhat triangular in section. 



Rocky banks and cliffs. Maine and Vermont. May- 

 June. Also in the Rocky Mountains. 



12. Astragalus distortus T. & G. Bent 

 Milk Vetch. Fig. 2545. 



Astragalus distortus 1. & G. Fl. N. A. i : 333. 1838. 



Sparingly pubescent or glabrate, diffuse or as- 

 cending, much branched from the base, stems 

 S'-is' long. Leaflets 1 1-25, obovate or oval, emar- 

 ginate or rounded at the apex, narrowed at the 

 base, 2"-5" long; flowers purple, 4"-6" long, in 

 loose short spikes ; pod sessile in the calyx, i-celled, 

 slightly inflated, linear-oblong, coriaceous, strong- 

 ly curved, glabrous, grooved on the under side, 

 i'-ii' long. 



In dry soil, Illinois to Iowa, south to West Vir- 

 ginia, Mississippi and Texas. March-July. 



