Genus i6. 



PEA FAMILY. 



7. Psoralea argophylla Pursh. Silver-leaf Psoralea. 

 Fig. 2497. 



Psoralea incana Nutt. Fraser Cat. Name only. 1813. 



Psoralea argophylla Pursh, Fl. Am. Sept. 475. 1814. 



Erect, widely branched, densely silvery pubescent with 

 white appressed hairs throughout. Stem often zigzag, 

 i-3 high; petioles shorter than or equalling the leaves; 

 stipules narrowly linear, 3"-4" long; leaflets 3-5. digitate, 

 very short-stalked, oval, oblong or obovate, obtuse and 

 mucronate or acutish at the apex, narrowed or rounded at 

 the base, 8"-i5" long, 3"-6" wide ; peduncles exceeding the 

 leaves ; inflorescence spicate, interrupted, the blue flowers 

 sessile, about 4" long, in clusters of 2-4; bracts lanceolate, 

 slightly longer than the corolla, persistent ; calyx-lobes lan- 

 ceolate ; pod ovate, straight-beaked. 



Prairies and plains, Wisconsin and Minnesota to North 

 Dakota, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Missouri, Colorado and New 

 Mexico. June-Aug. 



8. Psoralea cuspidata Pursh. 



Psoralea. Fig. 2498, 



Large-bracted 



Psoralea macrorliiza Nutt. Fraser's Cat. Name only. 1813. 

 Psoralea cuspidata Pursh, Fl. Am. Sept. 741. 1814. 

 Psoralea cryptocarpa T. & G. Fl. N. A. i : 301. 1838. 



Erect or ascending, stout, branched, finely appressed- 

 pubcscent, at least above, i-2 high, frotn a long deep 

 tuberous-thickened root. Petioles equalling or shorter 

 than the leaves, ii'-2' long; stipules linear, acuminate, 

 6"-8" long; leaflets 5, digitate, short-stalked, entire, 

 broadly oblanceolate or oval, obtuse and commonly mu- 

 cronate at the apex, narrowed or cuneate at the base, 

 i'-2' long, 4"-7" wide; spikes oblong, dense, i2'-3' long, 

 I'-i^' thick; peduncles longer than the petioles; bracts 

 lanceolate, long-cuspidate, equalling or exceeding the 

 bluish corolla ; pod oval, membranous, enclosed in the 

 calyx. 



Prairies an.i plains. South Dakota to Kansas, Arkansas 

 and Texas. May-June. 



9. Psoralea esculenta Ptirsh. Pomme 



Blanche. Prairie Apple or Turnip. 



Indian Bread-root. Fig. 2499. 



Psoralea esculenta Pursh, Fl. Am. Sept. 475. 1814. 



Rather stout, erect from a large farinaceous 

 root or cluster or roots, little branched, 4'-l8' 

 high, densely villous-pubescent with whitish hairs. 

 Lower petioles 2-4 times longer than the leaves ; 

 stipules lanceolate, 8"-i2" long; leaflets 5, digi- 

 tate, short-stalked, oval or obovate, entire, obtuse, 

 narrowed at base, i'-2' long, 4"-io" wide; pe- 

 duncles equalling or longer than the petioles; 

 spikes oblong, dense, li'-3' long, I'-il' thick; 

 bracts lanceolate or ovate, acute, s"-8" long, 

 nearly equalling the bluish corolla ; pod oblong, 

 glabrous, about 2*" long, slightly wrinkled, en- 

 closed in the calyx-tube. 



Prairies and plains. Manitoba and North Dakota to 

 Wisconsin. Montana, Missouri, Nebraska and Texas. 

 Missouri bread-root. Cree- or prairie-potato. Tipsin. 

 Tipsinna. June. 



