632 FABACEAE 



lets mostly 3, the blades strongly involute, thus almost linear-subulate, 5-11 mm. long, 

 acute: spikes globular or oval, 1.2-1.6 cm. long, fully or nearly as thick : calyx 4 mm. 

 long, minutely and closely appressed-pubescent with somewhat lustrous hairs, surpassing 

 the bract : corolla pink-purple. 



In dry soil, central Texas. Spring and summer. 



21. Petalostemon decumbens Nutt. Plant thinly pubescent above or glabrate. 

 Stems solitary or several together, ascending or decumbent, 3-6 dm. long, mostly simple : 

 leaflets 5-7, the blades linear or linear-oblong, 8-18 mm. long, acute or mucronulate, gland- 

 ular, more or less involute : spikes ovoid or oblong, 1-2 cm. long : bracts ovate-lanceolate, 

 with subulate tips : calyx strigillose, sliorter than the bract ; tube campanulate ; lobes 

 lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, shorter than the tube, acute : corolla pink or rose-purple ; 

 standard with an oblong-ovate cordate blade, the other petals with oblong blades. 



In dry soil, northeastern Texas. Summer. 



22. Petalostemon cirneus Michx. Plant glabrous or nearly so. Stems solitary or 

 several together, erect, 5-10 dm. tall, more or less branched, the branches erect or ascend- 

 ing : leaflets 5-7, the blades linear, linear-elliptic or linear-oblanceolate, 5-10 mm. long, 

 acute or acuminate, more or less involute : spikes subglobose or oblong, becoming cylindric, 

 1-4 cm. long : bracts lanceolate with subulate tips : calyx shorter than the bract ; tube 

 campanulate ; lobes triangular, acute, shorter than the tube : corolla deep pink ; standard 

 abruptly contracted or truncate at the base, the other petals with elliptic-oblong blades. 



In sand, Georgia and Florida. Spring and summer. 



23. Petalostemon Feayi Chapm. Plant glabrous. Stems usually many together, 

 2-5 dm. long, erect or decumbent, branched, especially above : leaflets mostly 3-5, the 

 blades linear, 8-18 mm. long, involute-filiform, obtuse or truncate, apparently acute, gland- 

 ular : spikes subglobose, 1-1.5 cm. long: bracts inconspicuous or early deciduous : calyx 

 shorter than the bract ; tube campanulate, glabrous ; lobes ovate, acute, ciliate, about i as 

 long as the tube : corolla lavender or deep pink ; standard with the broad blade usually 

 truncate at the base. 



In dry sand, peninsular Florida. Spring and summer. 



34. KUHNISTERA Lam. 



Perennial herbs, with long tough roots and more or less glandular foliage. Leaves 

 alternate: blades unequally pinnately compound ; leaflets with narrow blades. Flowers 

 perfect, in involucrate corymbose spikes resembling heads of Carduaceae. Calyx pubes- 

 cent : lobes bristle-like, nearly equal, longer than the tube. Corolla white : standard 

 broad, abruptly narrowed into a claw or cordate : wings and keel-petals similar, their claws 

 adnate to the staminal tube. Stamens 5, monadelphous. Ovary sessile. Style subulate. 

 Ovules 2 in each cavity. Pod membraneous, included in the calyx, indehiscent. Seed 

 solitary. 



1. Kuhnistera pinnata (Walt.) Kuntze. Plant glandular. Stems 3-11 dm. tall, 

 usually branched at the base, corymbose above : leaflets 3-15, the blades linear-filiform to 

 linear-cuneate, 5-10 cm. long, obtuse : spikes subglobose, about 1 mm. thick, subtended 

 by an imbricated involucre : lower bracts imbricated, suborbicular in outline, acute, cil- 

 iate : calyx villous ; tube campanulate ; lobes filiform-setaceous, much longer than the 

 tube, plumose and conspicuous : corolla white ; standard with a relatively narrow blade, 

 but truncate or subcordate at the base. [Petalostemon corymhosum Michx. P. corymhosus var. 

 trifoliatus Chapm.?] 



In dry sandy pine lands, North Carolina to Florida and Mississippi. Summer and fall. 



35. AESCHYNOMENE L. 



Herbs or shrubs, with erect or prostrate stems. Leaves alternate : blades commonly 



unequally pinnate : leaflets numerous. Flowers perfect, in axillary racemes or terminal 



clusters, racemes or panicles. Calyx pedicelled : lobes nearly equal, the 2 upper and the 



3 lower more or less united into two lips. Corolla usually yellow, sometimes variegated 



with other colors : standard broad, with a short claw : wings oblique, keel-petals curved. 



Stamens diadelphous (5 and 5). Anthers alike. Ovary stalked. Style glabrous, incurved. 



Ovules few or numerous. Pod flattened, separating into as many indehiscent sections as 



there are joints. Joint Vetch. 



Annual : plant upright: pods with 6-10 half-orbicular joints, 1. A. visddula. 



Perennial : plant prostrate : pods with 2-3 nearly square joints. 2. A. Virginica. 



