VOL. III.] Contributions to Western Botany. 287 



but they are good in making smaller divisions, where now we have 

 considerable difficuIt}^ I hope Californian and Northern botanists 

 will report on these things with their species. It is necessary to 

 take the notes on flowers when they are growing, and as soon as 

 they are fully opened, before they have assumed a false position of 

 banner or wings. The following are my notes on living flowers, 

 with descriptions of some new species, following the order of Watson 

 in King's Rep. in a general way: — 



y Astragalus diphysus Gray. Banner broadest at base, sides 

 slightly reflexed at the top, not at all at base; white spot broadly 

 cuneate and very slightly notched at top. It comes within a line of 

 the tip of the banner. The banner is ascending less than 30°, sulcus 

 V shaped. The calyx is cleft on the upper side, acute at base, and 

 the lobes are unequal, the lower the longer. 



^ Astragalus diphysus Gray var. latus. Like the type but the 

 leaflets 3 to 5 lines long, 6 to 8 pairs, ovate or obovate to oval, 

 obtuse to emarginate; calyx teeth shorter and broader, i line long, 

 the tube 3 lines long; pod oval, straight, abruptly acute, completely 

 2 celled, rather deeply sulcate both dorsally and ventrally. Whole 

 plant glabrous even to the pods, subdecumbent; lower stems en- 

 during from year to year, many stemmed from a deep, thick, woody 

 root, stems spreading more or less underground. The flowers are 

 purple from a light-colored base, 6 lines long, and the cross section 

 of the pod is nearly two circles, joined at the side. Schell Creek 

 Range, Nevada, May, on the hillsides. 



^ Astragalus Beckwithii Torrey. Flowers cream white, never 

 purple; banner almost erect, deeply notched, sides not at all re- 

 flexed, except at a point opposite the tip of the keel, where it is 

 turned back for a space of 2 lines long, and at a point near the tip, 

 and so is fiddle shaped, water lined. The sulcus in the upper part 

 is broadly V shaped, but in the lower part of the banner it is almost 

 circular, making the base of the erect part of the banner very convex 

 on the outside, and narrowed at its insertion into the enlarged club- 

 shaped lower part, and this narrows as it enters the calyx; banner 

 4 lines wide and 6 lines long above the calyx; wings obliquely ob- 

 lanceolate, narrowed at the tip and nearly acute, 2 lines wide, nearly 

 straight, 3 lines longer than the keel; keel long and narrow, slightly 

 incurved, faintly purple veined at tip; leaflets generally emarginate; 



