GENUS 38. 



PEA FAMILY. 



399 



ii. Meibomia bracteosa (Michx.) Kuntze. Large-bracted Tick-trefoil. Fig. 2586. 



Hedysarum bracteosum Michx. Fl. Bor. Am. 2 : 73. 



1803. 



Desmodium bracteosum DC. Prodr. 2: 329. 1825. 

 Desmodium cuspidatum Hook. Comp. Bot. Mag. i : 23. 



1835- 

 Desmodium canadense var. longifolium T. & G. Fl. 



N. A. i : 365. 1838. 



Meibomia bracteosa Kuntze, Rev. Gen. PI. 195. 1891. 

 Meibomia longifolia Vail, Bull. Torr. Club 23: 140. 



1896. 



Erect, 2-6 high, glabrous or pubescent below, 

 the panicle finely pubescent. Stipules lanceolate, 

 cuspidate, somewhat cordate, deciduous or persis- 

 tent; leaves petioled; leaflets 2'-8' long, longer 

 than the petioles, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, acu- 

 minate, glabrous or very nearly so above, often 

 pubescent beneath ; flowers large, purple, 4"-s" 

 long; bracts deciduous, cuspidate, striate; calyx 

 deeply 2-lipped, the upper lobe 2-toothed, the 

 others acute; loment i'-3' long, 3-7-jointed, the 

 joints obliquely oblong, about twice as long as 

 wide, uncinate-pubescent; stipe about the length 

 of the lower calyx-lobes. 



In thickets, Maine to Ontario, Minnesota, Florida, 

 Missouri, Arkansas and Texas. Aug.-Sept. 



12. Meibomia paniculata (L.) Kuntze. Pani- 

 cled Tick-trefoil. Fig. 2587. 



Hedysarum paniculatum L. Sp. PI. 749. 1753. 

 Desmodium paniculatum DC. Prodr. z: 329. 1825. 

 Desmodium paniculatum var. angustifolium T. & G. Fl. 



N. A. i : 364. 1838. 

 Desmodium paniculatum var. pubens T. & G. Fl. N. A. 



i : 364. 1838. 



Meibomia paniculata Kuntze, Rev. Gen. PI. 198. 1891. 

 Meibomia paniculata Chapmani Britton, Mem. Torr. Club 



5 : 204. 1894.. 

 Meibomia paniculata pubens Vail, Bull. Torr. Club 19 : 



112. 1892. 



Erect, slender, glabrous or more- or less pubescent, 

 2-4 high. Stipules small, subulate, mainly decid- 

 uous; leaves petioled; leaflets oblong-lanceolate to 

 linear-lanceolate, obtuse or acute, i'-2 r long; racemes 

 terminal, compound ; bracts deciduous ; upper calyx- 

 lobe deeply 2-toothed, the 3 lower ones attenuate, 

 with the middle one elongated ; flowers purple, 3"-4" 

 long; loment i' long or more, 4-6-jointed, the joints 

 obliquely triangular or rhomboid, minutely uncinate- 

 pubescent; stipe nearly equalling the lower lobes of 

 the calyx. 

 In dry soil, Ontario to Minnesota, Maine. Massachusetts, 



Florida and Texas. Consists of several races, differing in 



width of leaflets and in pubescence. July-Sept. 



13. Meibomia laevigata (Nutt.) Kuntze. 

 Smooth Tick-trefoil. Fig. 2588. 



Hedysarum laevigatum Nutt. Gen. 2: 109. 1818. 

 Desmodium laevigatum DC. Prodr. 2 : 329. 1825. 

 Meibomia laevigata Kuntze, Rev. Gen. PI. 198. 1891. 



Erect or ascending, 2-4 high, glabrous or nearly so. 

 Stipules subulate, deciduous ; petioles i '-2' long; leaflets 

 ovate, blunt or acutish, somewhat glaucous beneath, 

 the terminal one larger than the lateral and more or 

 less rhomboid; racemes terminal, compound, slightly 

 pubescent; bracts deciduous; calyx scabrous, the upper 

 lobe entire or minutely 2-toothed, the 3 lower atten- 

 uate; flowers pink, s"-6" long; loment 3-4-jointed, the 

 joints triangular, angled on the back, uncinate-pubes- 

 cent ; ctipe 2"-3" long. 



In dry woods, southern New York to Florida, Missouri 

 and Texas. Stem terete, glaucous. Aug.-Sept. 



