3S^ 



FABACEAE. 



Vol. II. 



10. Astragalus alpinus L. Alpine Milk Vetch. Vlg. 2543. 



Astragalus alpinus L. Sp. PI. 760. 1753. 

 Pliaca aslragalina DC. Astrag. 64. 1803. 

 A. alfinus Bnincliiius Fernald, Rhoilora 10: 91. 1908. 



Ascending or decumbent, branched from the base 6-15' 

 high, slightly pubescent, or glabrous. Stipules ovate, folia- 

 ceous, 2"-3" long; leaflets 13-25, oval or elliptic, obtuse 

 or retuse, narrowed or rounded at the base, 3"-6" long; 

 flowers violet, the keel commonly darker, in short racemes ; 

 peduncles mostly exceeding the leaves; pod i-celled, some- 

 what flattened, membranous, stipitate, pendent, dehiscent, 

 rather densely black-pubescent, oblong, acute, somewhat 

 inflated, about 6" long, deeply furrowed on the under 

 side; calyx dark-pubescent. 



On rocks, Maine and Vermont to Newfoundland and Lab- 

 rador, west to Alaska and British Columbia, south in the 

 Rocky Mountains to Colorado. Also in northern Europe and 

 Asia. June. 



II. Astragalus Blakei Eggleston. Blake's 

 Alilk Vetch. Fig. 2544. 



A. Robbinsii occidcntalis S. Wats. Bot. King's Exp. 

 70. 1871. 



A. Robbinsii Jesupi Tlggleston & Sheldon, Bull. Geol. 

 Nat. Hist. Surv. Minn, g: 155. 1894. 



A. Blakei Eggleston, Bot. Gaz. 20: 271. 1895. 



A. Jesupi Britton, Man. 1048. 1901. 



Similar to the two preceding species, but stem 

 rather stouter, erect or nearly so, up to 20' high, 

 sparingly pubescent. 'Leaflets 9-15, oblong to 

 elliptic, obtuse or emarginate, glabrous above, 

 pubescent beneath ; corolla whitish or bluish 

 purple, 5"-6" long; pod l' long or less, pubescent, 

 swollen, somewhat triangular in section. 



Rocky banks and cliffs. Maine and Vermont. May- 

 June. .Mso in the Rocky Mountains. 



12. Astragalus distortus T. & G. Bent 



]\Iilk \'etch. Fig. 2545. 



Astragalus distortus T. & G. Fl. N. A. i : 333. 1838. 



Sparingly pubescent or glabrate, diffuse or as- 

 cending, much branched from the base, stems 

 8-15' long. Leaflets 11-25, obovate or oval, emar- 

 ginate or rounded at the apex, narrowed at the 

 base, 2"-s" long; flowers purple, 4"-6" long, in 

 loose short spikes ; pod sessile in the calyx, l-celled, 

 slightly inflated, linear-oblong, coriaceous, strong- 

 ly curved, glabrous, grooved on the under side, 

 I'-iJ' long. 



In dry soil, Illinois to Iowa, south to West Vir- 

 ginia. Mississippi and Texas. March-July. 



