LECiUMlNOS-E. 116 MEDICAGO. 



merits hairy, shorter than the villous calyx. A slender, hairy, shrubby plant, 

 2 — 4 feet high, found in dry woods. Leaves very numerous, on sliort petioles, 

 each consisting of 3 mucronated leaflets, covered with silken down beneath, 

 smooth above. Flowers white and red. Sept. Buih Clover. 



2. L. HIRTA. 



Leaves ternate ; leaflets roundish-elliptic ; racemes capitate, axillary, oblong, 

 longer than the leaves ; corolla and lomeitt about as long as the calyx. A 

 plant, 2 — 4 feet high, found in dry woods, erect, branching and very hairy. 

 Leaves leas numerous than the last, on very short stalks, consisting of 3 oval 

 leaflets, hairy beneath. Peduncle hairy, much longer than the raceme. Flow- 

 ers reddish white, crowded. Aug. — Sept. Hairy Lespedcza. 



3. L. VIOLA'CEA. Pers. 



Leaflets oval -elliptic, obtuse; racemes umbellate, longer than the petioles; 

 floiccrs inpa'irs; /omertL^rhomboidal, reticulate, smooth. Dry woods. Stems 

 long and slender, nearly erect, smoothish. Leaves consisting of 3 small, 

 mucronated leaflets, nearly smooth. Flowers violet-colored, rather numerous, 

 pedicelled, arranged by pairs in slender racemes, which are disposed in the 

 form of an umbel. Pods I -seeded. Jl. Aug. Violet Lespedeza. 



/3. sessiUflora ; leaflets ohlong-ovvA, obtuse ; /risfzc/cs of flowers subsessile, 

 axillary and terminal; lument naked, acute; calyx minute. In dry woods. 

 Stem slender, erect, branching, 2 feet high. Leaves pubescent beneath, on 

 long stalks. consisting of 3mucronated leaflets varying much in size. Bunches 

 of small, violet-colored flowers numerous, tiie axillary ones nearly sessile. Aug. 



y. reticulata; leaflets oblong-linear, hairy beneath ; fascicles oHiowers sub- 

 sessile, axillary and terminal ; lament ovate, reticulate with prominent lines, 

 acute. Dry woods. Stem simple or branched, nearly smooth. Leaflets 

 very narrow. Flowers violet-colored. 



2- diver sens ; leaflets oblong, obtuse ; racemes longer than the petiole ; floW' 

 «•*• in pairs ; leguvies ova.ie, reticulate, suiooth. Dry woods. Plant diffuse, 

 branching, erect, smoothish, 1 or 2 feet high. Leaflets appressed, hairv be- 

 neath, narrow, blunt at each end. Flowers violet, in long, slender, axillary 

 racemes. Aug. 



4. L. procu'mbens. 



Leaflets oval, upper surface smooth ; racemes short, on very long, setaceous 

 peduncles; /o/ni?«^s roundish, pubescent ; .•-■ilcvns procumbent. Dry woods and 

 sandy fields. Plant pubescent in all its parts. Stems several Iro.m the same 

 root, slender, 2 — 3 feet long. Leaves consisting of 3 oblong or roundish leaf- 

 lets, on hairy stalks. Flowers purple, in short, raceme-like heads, axillary, 

 the lower ones apetalous, and on short, the upper on very long, thread-like 

 filaments. Aug. Procuriibent Lespedeza. 



5. L. angustifo'lia. 



Leaves ternate; leaflets oblong, oval and lanceolate, hoary- pubescent be- 

 neath ; rarenies capitate, longer than the leaves ; cnrolla longer than the calyx. 

 A tall, shiubby species, congener of L. cupitata, found in dry woods. Stem 

 3 — 4 feet high, slender. Flowers white or i eddish. Sept. 



JVarroic-leaved Lespedeza. 



9. MEDICA'GO. 

 Keel of corolla deflexed from the vexilliim, bj the falcate 

 or spiral, compressed legume. 



Name derived from Medcs, its native country. Cal. inferior, straight, cyl- 

 indric, in 5 nearly equal segments. Vex. ovate, entire, inflexed at the edges, 



