642 FABACEAE 



the branches often interwoven : leaflets 3, the blades mainly obovate, sometimes obcordate, 

 6-18 mm. long, mucronulate, glabrous above, finely appressed-pubescent beneath : inflores- 

 cence lax and very open, the jJeduncles usually much elongated : calyx-lobes al)out ^ as 

 long as the pod: corolla purplish, 6-8 mm. long: pods broadly oval, 3-4 mm. long, 

 prominently veined, much exceeding the calyx. 



In dry soil, Iowa to Nebraska, Arkansas and Texas. Summer and fall. 



10. Lespedeza simulata Mackenzie & Bush. Perennial, more or less pubescent, 

 sometimes almost glabrous. Stems erect, 6-9 dm. tall, with few appressed-ascending 

 branches: leaflets 3, the blades linear-oblong to oblong-elliptic, 1.2-3 cm. long, rounded 

 at both ends but mucronate at the apex, silvery pubescent with appressed hairs on both 

 sides, but especially so beneath : calyx-lobes slender, 4-5 mm. long, about as long as the 

 13od or longer: corolla purple, 6-8 mm. long: pods oval, 4.5-5 mm. long, usually 

 copiously pubescent. 



On rocky mounds and prairies, Missouri to Arkansas and Texas. Summer and fall. 



11. Lespedeza Stuvei Nutt. Perennial, densely velvety or downy pubescent. Stems 



erect or ascending, 6-12 dm. tall, simple or narrowly branched above: leaflets 3, the 



blades oblong, oval or suborbicular, 10-20 mm. long or rarely longer, obtuse or retuse at 



the apex, longer than the petioles : inflorescence rather dense, the clusters of both kinds of 



flowers sessile or nearly sessile in the axils : calyx-lobes less than h as long as the pod : 



corolla violet-i^urple, 4-6 mm. long : pods oblong-ovate to suborbicular, 4-6 mm. long, 



acute, densely pubescent. 



In dry soil, Long Island to Michigan, Georgia and the Indian Territory. Summer and fall.— A 

 variety, L. Stuvei iieglicta Britton, with linear or linear-oblong mucronulate blades of the leaflets, 

 occurs" from New Jersey to Missouri, south to Georgia and Texas. 



12. Lespedeza frut^scens (L. ) Britton. Perennial, finely appressed-pubescent or 

 glabrate. Stems erect or ascending, 3-10 dm. tall, simple or branched : leaflets 3, the 

 blades oval, oblong or elliptic, 10-35 mm. long, obtuse, truncate or retuse at the apex, dark 

 green and glabrous above, paler and slightly pubescent beneath, as long as the petioles or 

 longer : inflorescence often dense : clusters of both kinds of flowers nearly sessile or short- 

 peduncled in the axils, usually crowded near the summit of the stem : calyx-lobes h as 

 long as the pod or shorter: corolla violet-purple, 4-6 mm. long: pods ovate-oblong, 

 about 4 mm. long, acute, pubescent, surpassing the calyx-lobes. 



In dry soil, Massachusetts to Ontario, Michigan, Florida and Texas. Summer and fall. 



13. Lespedeza Virgiuica (L. ) Britton. Perennial, similar to L. frutescens, hut more 

 slender. Stems erect or ascending, 4-11 dm. tall, simple or sparingly branched: 

 leaflets 3, the blades linear or oblong-linear, 12-35 mm. long, truncate, obtuse or some- 

 times acute at the apex, glabrate on both surfaces or finely pubescent beneath : inflorescence 

 rather dense : clusters of both kinds of flowers sessile or nearly sessile and crowded in the 

 upper axils: calyx-lobes less than i as long as the pod: corolla violet-ijurple, 4-6 mm. 

 long : pods ovate or oval-orbicular, about 4 mm. long, acute or obtuse, pubescent or glabrate, 

 surpassing the calyx-lobes. 



In dry soil, Massachusetts to Minnesota, Florida and Texas. Summer and fall. 



14. Lespedeza hlrta ( L. ) Ell. Perennial. Stems erect or ascending, 5-12 dm. tall, 

 mostly branched above: leaflets 3, the blades oval or suborbicular, 12-40 mm. long, 

 rounded at both ends or notched at the apex : racemes rather dense, 1-4 cm. long, dis- 

 posed in panicles : peduncles often surpassing the leaves : flowers all complete : calyx-lobes 

 surpassing the pod : corolla about 6 mm. long, yellowish white ; standard sometimes purple- 

 spotted : pods oval or obovate, 7-8 mm. long, acute, about as long as the calyx-lobes. 



In dry soil, Maine to Ontario, Minnesota, Florida and Louisiana. Summer and fall. — A variety 

 with loose spikes, a densely pubescent calyx and leaflets with oblong blades, is L. hirta oblongifdlia Brit- 

 ton ; it ranges from New Jersey to the Gulf States. 



15. Lespedeza capitata Michx. Perennial, silky or silvery pubescent. Stems 

 erect or ascending, rigid, 5-16 dm. tall, usually simple to the inflorescence : leaflets 3, the 

 blades oblong to oval. 2.5-3.5 cm. long, obtuse, or acute at both ends, several times longer 

 than the very short petioles : flowers all complete : racemes oblong-globose, sessile or 

 siiort-peduncled : calyx-lobes much longer than the pod : corolla about 6 mm. long, yel- 

 lowish white, or standard with a purple spot: pods oblong-ovate, 5-5.5 mm. long, acute, 

 pubescent, i-j as long as the calyx-lobes. 



In dry soil, Maine to Ontario, Minnesota, Florida, Louisiana and Nebraska. Summer and fall. 



16. Lespedeza angustifolia (Pursh) Ell. Perennial, appressed-pubescent. Stems 

 erect or ascending, 6-10 dm. tall, rather slender, usually branched above: leaflets 3, the 

 blades linear or oblong-linear, or sometimes linear-lanceolate on the lower part of the 

 stem, 2-3.5 cm. long, truncate, obtuse or acutish at the apex, much longer than the very 

 short petioles : racemes subglobose or oblong, slender-peduncled : calyx-lobes much 



