PEA FAMILY (PULSE FAMILY) 105 



SEEDPODS NOT OF SEPAEABLE JOINTS PAGE 



Leaflets 1-3, pod inflated, stamens united. . . .Crotalaria 105 



Leaflets 3, pod inflated, stamens separate Baptisia 105 



Leaflets 1-3, pod flat Dolicholus 114 



Leaflets 3, pod cylindrical, 1-2 in. long Vigna 117 



Leaflets 3, pod coiled, small Medicago 107 



Leaflets 3, pod oval, tiny Melilotus 107 



Leaflets 11-17. Shrub Sophora 105 



Leaflets 20-52, seedpod 2-3 in. long Glottidium 109 



Leaflets 20-70, seedpod 6-12 in. long Sesbania 109 



Sophora tomentosa. Shrub 3-10 ft. tall. Leaves of 11-17 

 oblong or oval leathery leaflets, downy when young. Flowers 

 yellow, nearly 1 in. long, in racemes. Stamens separate. 

 Seedpods 2-5 in. long, constricted between the seeds. Near 

 the coast. Blooming from spring to fall. Fla. peninsula and 

 Keys. 



Baptisia LeContei. False indigo. Plant 1-2 ft. tall, much 

 branched. Leaflets 3, broadened upward, about 1 in. long. 

 Flowers yellow, nearly ^/^ in. long, in few-flowered racemes, 

 standard broad. Stamens separate. Seedpods inflated, 

 pointed, small. Sandy soil. Blooming in spring and sum- 

 mer. Fla. and Ga. 



Rattle-Box (Genus Crotalaria) 



Our most common peas of early winter are the rattle- 

 boxes, which grow in sandy soil, and bloom more or less 

 all the year. A chief characteristic is the oblong inflated 

 seedpod in which the ripe seeds rattle. Our species are 

 very variable in size and in leaf form. The standard is 

 broad, and is often tinged with red or brown on the 

 outside. The showy C. retusa has been advertised in flo- 

 rists' catalogues as "dwarf golden yellow-flowering pea.'^ 

 C. Saltiana, a recent immigrant, has become a common 

 weed near St. Petersburg. 



A tall Asiatic species is cultivated in India for its 

 strong fibers, from which cordage and canvas are made. 



Crotalaria PursMi. Flowers yellow, nearly 1/2 in. long, in 

 few-flowered racemes. Pod 1 in. long. Stems 10-20 in. long, 

 erect or spreading. Leaves 1-foliate, variable, usually nar- 



