640 FABACEAE 



much smaller than the terminal one : racemes panicled : bracts caducous : pedicels usually 

 in pairs, very slender, 1-2 cm. long or more, spreading : calyx-lobes acute, the upper lip 

 minutely 2-toothed : corolla about 3 mm. long, purple : loment sessile in the calyx or 

 nearly so, 4-7-jointed, the joints about 4 mm. long, oval, much twisted, minutely 

 pubescent. 



In dry fields, Florida and Mexico to Colombia, the West Indies and South America. Spring to fall. 



27. Meibomia supina (S\v. ) Britton. A small shrub, with erect or procumbent dif- 

 fuse terete stems 6 dm. high or higher, the foliage glabrous or sparingly puliescent below, 

 often linely pubescent above : stipules lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, 5-10 mm. long, 

 acuminate : petioles 1-3 cm. long or more : leaflets 3, the blades oval or elliptic, 2 cm. 

 long, thick and leathery, dark green, scabrous or glabrate and becoming lustrous above, 

 glaucous, pubescent and reticulated beneath ; leaflets of the basal leaves ovate or orbicular : 

 racemes terminal, elongated : pedicels slender, 1-1.5 mm. long : bracts linear or lanceolate, 

 caducous: calyx-lobes acute : corolla 5-8 mm. long, rose-colored: loment 2.5-3 cm. long, 

 3-8-jointed, tlae joints about 4 mm. long, straight on the back, rounded below, densely 

 pubescent, the stipe not longer than the calyx-lobes. 



In pine woods, about Biscayne Bay. Florida. Also in the West Indies, Central and South America. 

 Occurs also in Africa and in the Island of Mauritius. 



28. Meibomia triflora (L. ) Kuntze. Stems low, procumbent and trailing, branched, 

 the branches spreading on the ground, pubescent : stipules ovate or subulate : petioles 

 about as long as tiie leaflets : leaflets 3, the blades obcordate, 3-12 mm. long, retuse : ped- 

 icels 0.5-1 mm. long, very slender: calyx-lobes acute, the upper lip deeply 2-toothed: 

 flowers 2-3 together in the axils of the upper leaves : loment sessile in the calyx, 2-5- 

 jointed ,the joints about 3 mm. long, straight on the dorsal suture, slightly rounded below. 



In sand, peninsular Florida. Also circumtropical. 



40. LESPEDEZA Michx. 



Herbs or shrubs, with variously pubescent foliage. Leaves pinnately 3-foliolate, or 

 rarely 1-foliolate, with mucronate stipules : leaflets often veiny, not stipellate. Flowers 

 perfect, all complete or some of them apetalous. Calyx of 5 slightly united sepals : lobes 

 nearly equal or the two upper ones somewhat united. Corolla white, pink, or purple, or 

 rarely yellow : standard broad, Avith a claw : wings curved : keel obtuse or beaked, in- 

 curved. Stamens diadelphous (9 and 1), or partially monadelphous. Anthers alike. Ovary 

 sessile or stalked. Style filiform, often incurved. Ovule solitary. Pod of 1 or 2 lenticu- 

 lar joints, indehiscent, prominently nerved. Bush-clover. 



Annual : stipules ovate : calyx-lobes about as broad as long. 1. L. striata. 



Perennial: stipules subulate : calyx-lobes much longer than broad. 



Flowers both petaliferous and apetalous: calyx-lobes shorter than the pod: 

 corolla purple or purplish. 

 Flower-clusters sleiider-peduncled, mostly surpassing the leaves. 

 Petaliferous flowers in spike-like or head-like clusters. 



Stems branched at the base ; branches trailing or procumbent. 

 Foliage glabrous or pubescent with appressed, hairs. 



Pods 3-4 mm. long : stems pubescent. 2. L, repens. 



Pods 5-6 mm. long : stems essentially glabrous, at least below. 3. L. Texana. 



Foliage downy or woolly. 4. L. procumbent. 



Stems upright. 



Calyx-lobes 5-7 mm. long, as long as the pod or longer. 5. L. Manniana. 



Calyx-lobes 3-4 mm. long, much shorter than the pod. 



Leaflets mostly with linear-elliptic blades: pods sparingly pubescent. 6. L. acuticarpa. 

 Leaflets mostly with oval blades : pods copiously pubescent. 7. L. Nuttallii, 



Petaliferous flowers in loose or close panicles. 



Peduncles short, the inflorescence close : calyx-lobes about 14 *s longias 



the pod. 8. L. violacea. 



Peduncles elongated, the inflorescence lax : calyx-lobes about J^ as long 



as the pod. ' ' 9. i. 2)rairea. 



Flower-clusters of both kinds sessile or nearly so. 

 Leaflets with suborbicular, oval or oblong blades. 



Calyx 5-6 mm. long ; lobes as long as the pod or longer. 10. L. simulata. 



Calyx 3-4 mm. long ; lobes much shorter than the pod. 



Foliage downy. 11. L. Stuvei. 



Foliage glabrate, or pubescent with appressed hairs. 12. L. frutescens. 



Leaflets with linear or oblong-linear blades. 13. L. Virginica. 



Flowers all petaliferous : calyx-lobes fully as long as the pod : corolla whitish 

 or yellowish. 

 Leaflets with suborbicular to oval, ovate or oblong blades. 



Peduncles surpassing the leaves. 14. L. hirta. 



Peduncles shorter than the leaves. 15. L. capitata. 



Leaflets with linear or oblong-linear blades. 16. L. angustifolia. 



