402 



FABACEAE. 



Vol. II. 



20. Meibomia marylandica (L.) Kuntze. 

 Smooth Sniall-Ieavcd Tick-trefoil. Fig. 2595. 



Hcdysarum marylandicutn L. Sp. PI. 748. 1753. 



Dcsmodhim marylandicutn Boott. ; Darl. Fl. Ccstr. 412. 1S37. 



Meibomia marylandica Kuntze, Rev. Gen. PI. 198. 1891. 



Erect or ascending, glabrous, or rarely with a few 

 scattered hairs, slender, 2-$ high. Stipules subulate, 

 deciduous or persistent; petioles 3"-6" long; leaves 

 crowded; leaflets 3"-l2" long, ovate or nearly orbicu- 

 lar, obtuse, glabrous on both sides, the lateral often 

 subcordate ; upper lobe of the calyx eniarginate or mi- 

 nutely 2-toothed ; racemes oanicled ; corolla purplish, 

 very small, i"-2" long; loment sessile in the calyx or 

 nearly so, 1-3-jointed, the joints small, obliquely oval 

 or semi-orbicular. 



In dry soil and in copses. Ontario to Massachusetts, 

 Florida. Minnesota, Missouri, Arkansas and Texas. July- 

 Sept. 



21. Meibomia obtusa (]\Iiihl. ) Vail. Hairy Small- 

 leaved Tick-trefoil. Fig. 2596. 



Hcdysarum obfusum Muhl. ; Willd. Sp. PI. 3: 1190. 1803. 

 Hed'ysarum ciliare Muhl.; Willd. Sp. PI. 3: 1196. 1803. 

 Desmodium ciliare DC. Prodr. 2: 329. 1825. 

 Meibomia obiusa Vail, Bull. Torr. Club 19: 115. 1892. 



Erect or ascending, bushy, i-3 high, pubescent. Stip- 

 ules subulate, deciduous ; leaves crowded ; petioles ciliate, 

 shorter than the leaflets ; leaflets broadly ovate or oval, 

 obtuse, somewhat coriaceous, more or less pubescent on 

 both sides, ciliate, 6"-i2" long; racemes terminal, com- 

 pound or simple, uncinate-pubescent ; upper lobe of the 

 calyx entire or minutely 2-toothed, the lower ones acute ; 

 flowers i"-2" long; loment 2-3-jointed, the joints obliquely 

 oval ; stipe not exceeding the calyx-lobes. 



Dry soil, Ontario to Massachusetts and Florida, west to Mich- 

 igan. Missouri, Arl<ansas and Texas. Cuba. July-Oct. 



39. LESPEDEZA Michx. Fl. Bor. Am. 2: 70. 1803. 

 Herbs, often somewhat woody, with pinnately 3-foliolate leaves, sinall stipules, and small 

 purple or whitish flowers in axillary clusters, heads or panicles. Flowers often of 2 kinds 

 intermixed, the one petaliferous and mainly sterile, the other minute, apetalous, abundantly 

 fertile. Calyx-lobes nearly equal, those of petaliferous flowers often longer than those of 

 apetalous ones. Standard in the petaliferous flowers obovate or oblong, clawed ; wings 

 oblong; keel incurved. Stamens more or less diadelphous (9 and i) ; anthers all alike. 

 Ovary sessile or stipitate, i-ovuled. Pods ovate, oblong, oval or suborbicular, flat, indehis- 

 cent, reticulated, composed of a single joint, or with a second stalk-like joint at the base, 

 those of petaliferous flowers often sharper-pointed than those of apetalous ones. [Named 

 for Lespedez, governor of Florida, patron of JMichaux.] 



A genus of about 40 species, natives of eastern North America. Asia and Australia. T>-pe 

 species : Lespedeca sessiliflora Michx. The genus is known as bush-clover. 

 Perennial native species ; stipules subulate ; calyx-lobes narrow. 



Corolla purple or purplish ; plants bearing both petaliferous and apetalous flowers. 

 Stems prostrate or trailing. 



Glabrous or somewhat appressed-pubescent. 

 Downy-pubescent or tomentose. 

 Stems erect or ascending. 



Peduncles manifest, mostly longer than the leaves. 

 Bushy-branched : petaliferous flowers paniculate. 

 Stems simple or little-branched ; flowers racemose or subspicate. 



Calyx of petaliferous flowers two-thirds as long as the pod or more. 



4- 

 Calyx of petaliferous Mowers one-half as long as the pod or less. 

 Stem tomentose ; leaves tomentose beneath. 5. 



Stem and leaves glabrate or appressed-pubescent. 

 Leaflets oval to suborbicular. 

 Leaflets oblong. 



1. L. repeus. 



2. L. procumbcns. 



3. L. X'iolacea. 



L. Mainiiatia. 

 L. Brittonii. 



L. Ntittallii. 

 L. acnticarpa. 



