322 LEGUMINOS.^. Hosackia. 



with a double compact row of subulate curved prickles. — DC. prodr. 2. p. 

 176 ; Hook. Brit. Ji. p. 334, ^ compan. to hot. mag. 1. p. 21 ; Hook. ^ Am. 

 hot. BeecJi.ey, 1. p. 137. 



Louisiana, Drummond, NuttaU! California, Beechey. Introduced.— 

 Plant 1-2 feet long. Leaflets an inch long, emarginate. Peduncles about as 

 long as the leaves. Flowers small, purplish. 

 -/•■' 4. M. hiprdina (Linn.) : stem procumbent ; leaflets obovate-cuneate, tooth- 

 ed at the apex; stipules lanceolate, acute, nearly entire ; flowers spiked ; le- 

 gumes renifonn, 1 -seeded.— £«g-. hot. i. 971; Michx.! fl. 2. p. 60 ; Ell.sk. 

 2. p. 247 ; DC. prodr. 2. p. 172. 



Cultivated grounds and waste fields, Canada ! to Florida. Introduced. 

 June-Aug.— Stem 6-12 inches long, pubescent. Flowers small, in roundish 

 or oblong heads, yellow. Legumes black when ripe. 



Besides the above-described species (all of which have doubtless been introduced 

 from Europe), M. intertexta and M. nigra occasionally spring up in cultivated 

 grounds, particularly in the Southern States. 



32. HOSACKIA. Douglas; Benth. in hot. reg. sub t. 1257; Hcok.fi. 

 Bor.-Am. 1. p. 134. 



Hosackia & Lotus § Microlotus, Bcnth. in Linn, trans. 



Calyx tubular, or somewhat campanulate, 5-ckft or 5-toothed. Vexillum 

 as long as the spreading wings, often distant from those of the other petals: 

 keel as long as the vexillum. Style subulate, usually somewhat straight: 

 stigma capitate. Legume somewhat compressed, wingless.— Herbaceous or 

 rarely suffrutescent plants (all American).— Leaves pinnate or pinnately tri- 

 foliolate. Stipules usually very minute, resembling glands, sometimes scari- 

 ous or foliaceous, but differing in form from the leaflets. Peduncles axillary, 

 or umbellately 1-3- many-flowered, commonly with a 1-3-foliolate bract be- 

 low the flowers. 



We have adopted, whh some modifications, Bentham's original views of the 

 limits of this genus, as given in the Botanical Register. In a subsequent paper in 

 the Transactions of the Linnsean Snciety. Mr. Bentham proposes to restrict the ge- 

 nus Hosackia to the species with umbellate flowers ; nd pinnate leaves; consid- 

 ering those with l-flowered peduncles and trifolinlate leaves as a subgenus of Lotus, 

 which he named Microlotus. The subsequentdiscovery, however, of several 1-ilow- 

 ered species with truly pinnate leaves shows a complete transition from Miciolnlus 

 to Hosackia, which itself scarcely dilfers from Lotus except in the sti) ules. "VVe 

 adopt the following subdivisions in accordance with the views of our friend Mr. 

 NuUall, except that he considers Drepanolobus as forming a distinct genus. 



§ \. Umbels ma ny-floicered : corolla much longer than the calyx : re.ril- 

 lum. on a slender claw which is distant from those of the other petals : 

 keel obtuse : legume nearly straight, slightly compressed (rarely flat), 

 not attenuated upwards. Mostly perennial herbs : leaves pinnat eh 5- 

 15- {rarely 3-) foliolate : stipules membranaceous, foliaceous (bid very 

 different from the leaflets) or minute and gland-like. — Euhosackia. 



♦ Stipules foliaceous or scariovs. 



1. H. hicolor (Dougl.) : glabrous, decumbent ; leaflets 7-9, somewhat oppo- 

 site oblonaf and obovate ; stipules cordate-ovate, membranaceous, very ob- 



