330 LEGUMINOS^. Astragalus. 



Ovary linear, glabrous. Legume unknown. — Perhaps a species of Homalo- 

 bus. 



•♦♦ Stipules neither cohering vilh each other nor %cilh the petiole : foirers purple, in 

 dense spikes or heads : vexilluta narrow, elongated : root perennial. 



t Legume straight. 



5. A. adsxirgens (Pall) : nearly glabrous ; stem elongated, ascending or 

 prostrate; lealiets 7-12 pairs, oblong; stipules ovate, acuminate, membrana- 

 ceous ; peduncles longer than the leaves ; spikes oblong, ovate or subglobose ; 

 flowers erect; vexillum about one-third longer than the wings; legumes 

 erect, oblong, somewhat triangular, sulcate on the back, pointed with the 

 style, pubescent with appressed hairs — Pall. Astrag. t. 31, ex DC. prodr. 

 2. p. 287 ; Hook. ! Jl. Bor.-Ain. 1. p. 149. 



Plains of the Assinaboin and Saskatchawan Rivers ! and west to the Rocky 

 Mountains. — About a foot high. Leaflets nearly an inch long, 4-5 lines wide, 

 obtuse, pale green, slightly hairy on both surfaces; the hairs fixed by the 

 middle. Stipules sometimes partially cohering. Spike 1-2 inches long. 

 Bracts lanceolate, two-thirds the length of the calyx. FloAvers as large as in A. 

 Canadensis, bright purple. Calyx hir-ute, the hairs partly black; teeth subu- 

 late, half as long as the tube. — Our specimens of this species from Hooker, 

 differ from the European plant in the larger and partly cohering stipules, and 

 in the longer bracts. 



6. A.Mortoni(J>i\in.): nearly glabrous, erect ; stipulesbroad and membra- 

 naceous: leaflets 6-S pairs, oblong, obtuse; peduncles as long as the haves; 

 flowers in dense racemose spikes, nodding; calyx villous; teeth triangular- 

 lanceolate, much shorter than the tube; ovary villous. — Nutt. ! in jour. acad. 

 Philad. 7. p. 19. 



About *he sources and upper branches of the Missiouri, ^fr. Wyeth ! (spe- 

 cimens from NattaU.) — Plant a foot or more in height: hairs of the pubes- 

 cence fixed by the middle. Leaflets distant, nearly an inch long, and 4 lines 

 wide. Spike about 15-flowered ; the flowers nearly as large as in A. Hypo- 

 glottis, purple? — Mr. JNuttaU thinks that the flowers are ochroleucous, but 

 they seem to be purplish. 



7. A. striatus (Nutt. ! mss.) : " decumbent, robust, strigosely pubescent with 

 appressed hairs, particularly in the young state ; stem and peduncles sulcate ; 

 leaflets 7-9 pairs, linear-oblong, obtuse ; stipules triangular-ovate, acuminate, 

 membranaceous ; spikes oblong, short, dense ; bracts nearly as long as the 

 calyx, lanceolate-ovate, acuminate ; calyx clothed Avih short blackish hairs, 

 the teeth nearly as long as the tube. A. Laxmanni, Nutt. gen. 2. p. 99, not 

 of Jacq. A.adsurgens/3. robustior, Hook.f. Bor.-Am. 1. p. 149. 



"Plains and hills of the Platte and Missouri. May.— Diff"er3 from A. 

 adsurgens in being more robust and pubescent, and the flowers twice as large." 

 Nuttall. 



8. A. goniatus (Nutt.! mss.) "decumbent, nearly glabrous ; stem angular; 

 leaflets 7-10 pairs, linear-oblonc;, obtuse; stipules linear-lanceolate; pedun- 

 cles longer than the leaves; spikes capitate; bracts oblong, shorter than the 

 villous calyx ; teeth of the calyx subulate, as Ions: as the tube; legumes ob- 

 long, triquetrous, bicarinate, clothed with long white hairs, a little longer than 

 the calyx. 



" Rocky Mountains, near the sources of the Platte. — Plant about 4 inches 

 high. Leaflets one-third of an inch long, slightly emarginate. Heads about 

 an inch in diameter, compact, many-flowered. Flowers pale dull purple. 

 Teeth of the calyx nearly equal. Legume about 4 lines long. 



9. A. Labradoricus (DC.) : procumbent, minutely pubescent ; leaflets 



