370 LEGUMINOS^. Crotalaria. 



and roundish. Legume turgid, the valves ventricose-inflated. Seeds usu- 

 ally several, compressed, renitbrm. — Herbaceous or shrubby plants. Leaves 

 simple or palmalely compound. Flowers racemose, usually yellow. Brac- 

 teoles usually 1-2 at the base of the calyx. 



The few Nortli American species of this large genus are herbaceous, with sim. 

 pie leaves, few-flowered racemes opposite the leaves, and much inflated several- 

 seeded legumes, which turn blackish when fully ripe. 



1. C. sagittalis (Limn.) : annual, hairy; stein erect, branching; leaves 

 oval or oblong-lanceolate, scarcely petioled ; stipules united and decurrent on 

 the stem, obversely sagittate ; peduncles rather sliort, about 3-flowered ; co- 

 rolla rather shorter than the calyx ; legume scarcely stipitate. — Linn. ! spec. 

 2. p. 714 ,• Michx. ! fl. 2. p. 55 (var. oblonga) ,• Prirsh ! fl. 2. p. 469 ,- ElU 

 sk. 2. p. 293; DC. prodr. 2. p. 124,- Dartingt. fl. Ccst. p. 404. C. parvi- 

 flora, Both ; Wiild. spec. 3. p. 973 .'' C. platycarpa. Link., enum. 2. p. 221. 



Dry sandy banks and roadsides, Connecticut ! and New York ! to Flori- 

 da ! Louisiana ! and Arkansas ! common. May-July. — Stem 4-8 inches, 

 or sometimes a foot or more in height, hirsute. Leaves 1—2 inches long, va- 

 rying from oval to lanceolate, ])ubescent with long soft hairs. Stipules of 

 nearly all, but especially of the upper leaves, large, the free portion triangular- 

 laiiceolate ; occasionally the stipules are wholly wanting. Seeds small, 

 shining, at length becoming loose and rattling in the parchment-like inflated 

 legume. — Ratdehox. 



2. C. Purshii (DC.) : perennial, minutely hirsute with short and stiff 

 much appressed hairs, or at length almost glabrous ; stems branching, erect; 

 leaves linear or linear-oblong, nearly sessile ; stipules narrowly decurrent, 

 the free portion subulate ; peduncles elongated, 3— 7-flowered ; corolla as long 

 as the calyx. — DC. I. c. 1 C. lasvigata, Pursh I. c. ? not of Lam. C. par- 

 viflora, Pursh, I. c. ; Ell. I. c. ; DC. I. c, not of Rodi. 



" In damp or shady soils," S. Carolina ! to Alabama ! Florida and Lou^ 

 isiana ! April-July. — ^Stem 8-18 inches high. Leaves 2-3 inches long, 

 linear and very narrow ; the lower ones shorter and broader, oblanceolate or 

 oblong, acute at the base. Peduncles often 6-8 inches in length. Flowers 

 about the size of those of the preceding species. — The C. parviflora of Roth, 

 judging from his description, must be something different from this species, 

 ancl more probably belongs to C. sagittalis. This is, however, the C. parviflora 

 of Pursh (who lias slightly altered the character of Willdenow), and of El- 

 liott. As to C. liEvigata, Pursh, as well as the figure cited from Plukenet, we 

 are in doubt whether they do not belong to C. sagittalis : but the character of 

 C. Purshii is most probably drawn from the present species. The plant is 

 decidedly perennial. Should C. sagittalis prove to be sometimes jierennial, 

 as is perhaps the case, no important character would remain to distinguish 

 the present species. 



3. C. oralis (Pursh) : perennial, hairy ; stems branching from the base, 

 diffuse, decumbent ; leaves oval or elliptic, on A'ery short but distinct pe- 

 tioles ; stipules small, those at the base of the branches usually larger and 

 decurrent, the others minute and subulate or often wanting ; peduncles 

 elongated, 3-6-flowered ; corolla as long as the calyx ; legnme shortly stipi- 

 tate. — Pursh, I. c. ; Ell. sk. 2. p. 194 ; Nutf. gen. 2. p. 94 ; DC. I. c. ; 

 Hook. hot. mag. t. 3006 (from Mexican seeds). C. sagittalis /?. ovalis, 

 Michx. ! I. c. 



In dry barren soils, N. Carolina ! to Florida ! and Louisiana ! May- 

 July. — Root fusiform, long. Leaves about an inch long, roundish-oval, pu- 

 bescent with rather soft appressed hairs. Peduncles sometimes 6-10 inches 



