352 LEGUMINOSiE. Homaloeu?. 



naked branches." — NiUtaU. The legume in our imperfect specimen appears 

 to have been somewhat arcuate. Flowers the size of those of H. cam- 

 pestris. 



6. //. decumbrns (Nutt. ! mss.) : much branched from the base, diffuse, or 

 decumbent, slender ; leaflets 3-5 pairs, mostly very small, narroAvly lanceo- 

 late-linear, on long often slightly dilated petioles; stipules subulate, thelower 

 ones partly united; peduncles very long; racemes loose, 5-10-flowered; le- 

 gumes flat, linear, elongated, falcate, somewhat puberulent. 



" Sandy plains of the Colorado of the West, near the sources of the Platte. 

 — Flowers smaller than in the foregoing species, ochroleucous, the keel tip- 

 ped with dull purple. Legumes yellowish-white, more than an inch long, 

 many-seeded. A low, slender species." Nuttall. 



7. H. tenuifolhis (Nutt. ! mss.) : "low, branched from the base,somewliat 

 csespitose; leaflets 3-6 pairs, very small, subulate, on a narrow channelled 

 rachis; stipules triangular-acuminate, the lowermost broader and membrana- 

 ceous ; peduncles very long, 5-S-flowered ; teeth of the calyx short and acute ; 

 legumes short and flat, linear-elliptical, straight, somewhat puberulent. 



"Hills of the Rocky Mountains. — Plant 3-4 inches high. Leaflets about 

 3 lines long, pungent, often falcate. Bracts very minute. Flowers small, 

 ochroleucous tinged with purple." NultaU. — Smaller than the preceding spe- 

 cies, with a shorter and straight legume. 



* * * Slemlcss, caspitnse, dvmrf, silvery-canesccnt plants : leaves simple (pkyllodia), 

 or sometivies 3-5-foliolate, clustered : stipules scarwus, connate, imbricated : ra- 

 cemes on slender scapes : legumes sessile, at length resiipinate. — Drabellaj. 



8. H. ccespitosus (Nutt. ! mss.) : "leaves simple, or pinnately 3-5-foliolatc ; 

 linear- lanceolate or oblanceolate, narrow, acute, tapering below; racemes 

 loose; bracts lanceolaie-subulate, about the length of the pedicels in fruit; 

 teeth of the calyx subulate, about the length of the tube ; legumes oblong-lan- 

 ceolate, acuminate, fiat, very slightly curved, at length glabrous, about 12- 

 ovuled. 



"Dry and lofty hills of the Platte towards the Rocky Mountains, in barren 

 gravelly places. June. — Plant 3-4 inches high. Leaves in close tufts, an 

 inch or more in length. Flowers purple, small. Legumes 4-5 lines long [the 

 upper edge thin, somewhat turgid towards the dorsal suture], pubescent 

 when young." Nuttall. — Bracts (as also in the following species) somewhat 

 scarious or membranaceous. 



9. H. brachycarpus (Nutt. ! mss.): "leaves simple, rarely 3-foliolate, lan- 

 ceolate-linear, acute, tapering below ; racemes loose ; bracts subulate, nearly 

 as long as the calyx ; teeth of the calyx setaceous-subulate, as long as the 

 tube ; legumes oblong-eUiptical, with an abrupt short point, flat, straight, at 

 length almost glabrous, about 8-ovuled. 



" With the preceding to which it is closely allied ; but a smaller plant, 

 with a shorter nearly straight legume. Flowers small, purple." Nuttall. — Le- 

 gumes (immature) about 3 lines long. 



10. H. canescens (Nutt. ! mss.) : " leaves simple, lanceolate, pungent, taper- 

 ing below into slender petioles ; racemes subcapitate, at length rather loose; 

 flowers larger; bracts subulate, nearly the length of the calyx; teeth of the 

 calyx subulate, about as long as the tube ; legumes linear, flat, abruptly point- 

 ed, somewhat curved, puberulent, about 12-ovuled. 



" On the high chalky hills of the Platte towards the Rocky Mountains. — Plant 

 2-4 inches high. Leaves broader than in the preceding species, which it 

 greatly resembles ; the flowers much larger, bright purple : vexillum emargi- 

 nate." Nuttall. 



