NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 351 



Xt Flowers rather small, 4 or 5 lines long : keel broad, about the length of the 

 wings. Root annual : rhachisof the leaves somewhat dilated. (A transition 

 to the next division.) 



23. H. maritima, Nutt. in Torr. and Gray, Fl. Diffusely spreading from an 

 annual root, minutely strigose-puberulent or almost glabrous ; stems from a 

 span to nearly a foot long. Leaflets mostly 5, succulent, oval or obovate 

 (46 lines long). Peduncles about equalling the leaves, 3 5-flowered, or 

 the earliest 1 2-fiowered. Bract, 1 3-foliolate, or sometimes none. Calyx- 

 teeth linear-subulate, rather longer than the tube. Corolla bright yellow. 

 Sauta Barbara and Los Angeles, California. Not having any original speci- 

 mens, I have before taken specimens of H. strigosa, Nutt. for maritima. But 

 the original of the latter proves to be identical with a plant which I have re- 

 ceived from Mr. Wallace, and recently from Dr. Brewer, which is clearly of 

 this rather than the succeeding section, having a 4 5-flowered umbel in well- 

 developed specimens, and the vexillum on a slender claw, remote from the 

 wings, as in typical Hosachia. 



*** Uniflorce. Leaves obviously pinnate or pinnately trifoliolate ; the 

 rhachis more or less dilated. Stipules reduced to blackish glands. Peduncles 

 1- flowered, (rarely 2-fiowered). Claws of the petals not exserted, that of the 

 vexillum short, and approximate to the others. Small and diffuse annuals ; 

 the flowers small, yellow, often turning rose-purple or reddish. 



t Pubescent, 4 9-foliolate. Keel broad, and almost straight, very blunt 

 much shorter than the wings. Vexillum tapering into a short claw. 



24. H. strigosa, Nutt. H. microphylla, nudiflora, strigosa, and rubella, 

 Nutt. in Torr. and. Gray, Fl. Diffusely spreading or ascending, strigosely, 

 pubescent. Leaflets linear-oblong, or obovate (1 5 lines long). Peduncle- 

 equalling or exceeding the leaves ; the bract of the apex 1 5-foliolate or 

 sometimes wanting. A very variable little annual, the forms of which I can 

 divide into three sets ; one with the flowers 4 or 5 lines long and the peduncle 

 bracteolate (H. strigosa, Nutt.); another with the flowers 3 or 4 lines long 

 and the bract wanting or minute (H. nudiflora, Nutt.) ; and a third with the 

 flowers (occasionally in pairs) two lines long, the bract 1 3-foliolate or often 

 wanting (H. rubella and H. microphylla, Nutt., in herb. Durand, under the 

 name of H. (Psychopsis) micrantha, Nutt.). Some forms have been mistaken 

 for H. maritima. California, along and near the coast and rivers. 



ft Glabrous throughout, 3 6-foliolate. Keel somewhat narrowed at the 

 inflexed apex, acutish, nearly equalling the wings. Vexillum subcordate. 



25. H. parviflora, Benth. in Bot. Reg. Lotus micranthus, Benth. in Linn. 

 Trans. Pale, well marked by its perfect smoothness (or a slight pubescence 

 on nascent parts), and the minute flowers (barely 2 lines long), scarcely sur- 

 passing thel 3-foliolate bract. Peduncle 2 to 8 lines long. The form of the 

 keel is nearly that of H. bicolor and H. gracilis. Oregon and California. 



MICROLOTUS, Benth., excl. sp. Legume of 2, sometimes barely oblong. 

 Keel of the corolla attenuated upwards, or as it were rostrate, falcate, mostly 

 acute, equalling or exceeding the wings. Vexillum on a short claw, not dis- 

 tant from those of the other petals, which, moreover, are not exserted. An- 

 nuals. Leaves 1 5-foliolate, the lower leaflets scattered on a more or less 

 dilated rhachis. Stipules reduced to minute dark glands. Flowers small, 

 (yellow, sometimes changing to orange or purple) not umbellate. 



Of these following species only it is a question whether they should not 

 be referred to Lotus. 



f Peduncles longer than the leaves, bearing a single flower accompanied by 

 1863.] 



