GENUS 26. 



PEA FAMILY. 



i. Astragalus mollissimus Torr. Woolly 

 Loco-weed or Crazy-weed. Fig. 2534. 



Phaca villosa James, Trans. Am. Phil. Soc. (II.) 2 : 186. 

 1825. Not Nutt. 1818. 



Astragalus mollissimus Torr. Ann. Lye. 2: 178. 1826. 



Decumbent or ascending, stout, bushy, densely 

 villous-pubescent, i-2 high. Stem very short; 

 stipules membranous, ovate, pointed, 3"-5" long, 

 adnate to the petiole; leaflets 19-27, oval, obtuse, 

 but pointed at the apex, narrowed or rounded at 

 the base, 4"-6" long, 2"-$" wide ; peduncles equal- 

 ling or exceeding the leaves ; flowers violet-purple, 

 8"-i2" long, in dense spikes ; pod oblong, dry, car- 

 tilaginous, glabrous, dehiscent into 2 valves, some- 

 what compressed, sessile, 2-celled, s"-io" long, 

 about 3" thick, furrowed at both sutures, slightly 

 curved at maturity. 



Prairies, plains and hills, Nebraska to Wyoming, 

 Texas and New Mexico. June. The popular name of 

 the plant is from its poisonous effects on cattle. Rattle- 

 bag weed. 



2. Astragalus carolinianus L. Carolina or 

 Canadian Milk Vetch. Fig. 2535. 



Astragalus carolinianus L. Sp. PI. 757. 1753. 

 Astragalus canadensis L. Sp. PI. 757. 1753. 



Glabrous or slightly pubescent, erect or ascending, 

 branched, i-4 high. Stipules membranous, broadly 

 lanceolate, acuminate, 2" -4" long; leaflets 15-31, elliptic 

 or oval, obtuse or slightly emarginate at the apex, 

 rounded at the base, i'-2' long, 3"-9" wide; peduncles 

 longer than the leaves, or shorter ; flowers greenish yel- 

 low, 6"-8" long in dense thick spikes ; pod oblong, ses- 

 sile, 2-celled, coriaceous, dehiscent, glabrous, erect, te- 

 rete, or sometimes slightly furrowed at the dorsal suture, 

 pointed, nearly straight, s"-8" long. 



Along streams, Quebec and Hudson Bay to Saskatchewan, 

 western New York, Georgia, Louisiana, Nebraska and Utah. 

 Canadian rattle-weed. July-Aug. 



3. Astragalus adsurgens Pall. Ascend- 

 ing Milk Vetch. Fig. 2536. 



A. adsurgens Pall. Astrag. 40. />/. 31. 1800. 



A. striatus Nutt. ; T. & G. Fl. N. A. i : 330. 1838. 



Minutely cinereous-pubescent or glabrate, 

 ascending or decumbent, 4'-i8' long, simple 

 or branched at the base. Stipules membran- 

 ous, ovate, acuminate, 3"-s" long; leaflets 15- 

 25, oval to linear-oblong, obtuse and some- 

 times emarginate at the apex, narrowed at the 

 base, 8"-i2" long ; peduncles exceeding the 

 leaves ; flowers purplish, 6"-8" long, in dense 

 short spikes ; pod sessile, 2-celled, oblong, 

 pointed, coriaceous, finely pubescent, erect, de- 

 'hiscent, cordate-triangular in section, deeply 

 furrowed on the back, 4"-6" long. 



Prairies, Minnesota to Manitoba, Keewatin, 

 British Columbia, Kansas, Colorado and Nevada. 

 Also in northern Asia. June-July. 



