A genus of about 90 species of Asia, Australia and North America. Several 

 Asian species have been introduced for erosion control, forage and for use in 

 wild-life management, especially for quail and other game birds. A few hybrids 

 often occur wherever two or more perennial species exist in moderate numbers, 

 making identification somewhat difficult. 



1. Stems upwardly appressed-pubescent; leaflets of the younger or upper leaves 

 conspicuously ciliate marginally; petioles of the principal leaves 

 mostly 4—10 mm. long 1. L. stipulacea. 



1. Stems downwardly appressed-pubescent; leaflets not conspicuously ciliate; 



petioles of the principal leaves usually less than 3 mm. long 



2. L. striata. 



1. Lespedeza stipulacea Maxim. Korean bush clover. 



Bushy-branched tap-rooted annual with stems under 4 dm. long, antrorsely 

 appressed-pubescent; stipules ovate to ovate-lanceolate, mostly 5-8 mm. long on 

 the mainstem; stalk of terminal leaflet not much longer than the petiolules of 

 the laterals (thus leaf subpalmate); petioles of the principal leaves mostly 4-10 

 mm. long; leaflets spatulate to obovate, mostly 1-2 cm. long, the upper or 

 younger (i.e., bracteal) leaves conspicuously ciliate on the margins; flowers and 

 fruits in short leafy racemes; corolla pink; pods about 3 mm. long. 



Scattered on sandy and gravelly bars along rivers and streams, wet meadows 

 and roadsides in Okla. and e. Tex., June-Sept.; nat. of e. Asia, now widely introd. 

 in N. A. 



2. Lespedeza striata (Thunb.) H. & A. Japanese bush clover. 



Bushy-branched taprooted annual with stems mostly under 4 dm. long, retror- 

 sely appressed-pubescent; stipules ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 3-5 mm. long; stalk 

 of the terminal leaflet not much longer than the petiolules of the laterals (thus 

 subpalmate); petioles usually less than 3 mm. long; leaflets obovate to narrowly 

 oblong, not conspicuously ciliate on the margin; flowers and fruits in short leafy 

 racemes; corolla pink; pod 3-4 mm. long. 



Abundant in sandy open areas, seepage slopes, in mud along streams, in Okla. 

 and e. Tex., infrequent w. to n.-cen. Tex., June-Sept.; nat. of e. Asia, now widely 

 introd. i N. A. 



19. Vicia L. Vetch 



A genus of perhaps 150 species in temperate regions of the earth. Some 

 species are important silage, pasture and green-manure legumes, and several have 

 been introduced for these purposes. 



1. Vicia angustifolia L. Narrow^-leaved vetch. 



Glabrous or glabrate annual; stems decumbent, ascending, 1-6 dm. long, 

 usually branched only at base; leaves with usually 4 to 10 (or 12) leaflets, those 

 of the lower leaves oblong and truncate, of the upper linear to narrowly elliptic 

 or lance-attenuate [in var. segetalis (Thuill.) Koch leaflets of the upper leaves 

 oblong to oblong-obovate, 2-9 mm. broad, the apexes truncate or emarginate 

 and mucronate], 15-30 mm. long, 1-4 mm. broad; stipules semisagittate, serrate 

 or the upper entire, often lacking a nectary; flowers commonly paired in the upper 

 axils, 10-18 mm. long, blue or violet varying to white; calyx 7-11 mm. long, the 

 campanulate tube 4—6 mm. long, the linear-lanceolate teeth about equal and 3-6 

 mm. long, the 3 lower teeth bearing a usually inconspicuous pale-stramineous 

 nectary on the outer face; pod very dark-brown to almost black at maturity, terete. 



Occasionally escaped in fields and wet meadows, in Okla. {Waterfall), e. Tex. 

 and N. M. (Rio Arriba Co.), May-June; Eur., now widely introd. 



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