152 CLASS DIADELPHIA. 



cate or sickle-shaped. The genus has been called 

 abroad., I believe, Bastard Indigo, it is peculiar to the 

 United States ; but confined exclusively either to the 

 southern or western states, and consists, at present, of 

 about 6 species, all shrubs, or woody rooted peren- 

 nials, growing eithei in prairies or by •■ b ks of 

 rivers. 1 hey have el< . id th 



or hoary leaves ; eormuonlj due, are 



collected into clui ; ig, terminal, rather .iense 



spikes- The pods or I es are covered with resi- 



nous, aromatic, but rather foetid glands. Our com- 

 monest species, often in gardens, where it is cultivated 

 for ornament, is a smooth shrub about 6 feet high, with 

 dark blue flowers, and with only one of the teeth of 

 the calyx acuminated, and the rest obtuse. 



The Lupin (Lupinus), which you meet in every 

 garden, has all its filaments likewise united ; but its 

 generic mark is to have anthers of 2 forms ; 5 of them 

 oblong, and 5 round. The calyx is also bilabiate or 

 2 lipped, and the legume coriaceous, or of a leathery 

 or cartilaginous texture, and torulose, having protuber- 

 ances which mark the lodgement of each of the seeds. 

 The species are mostly annuals, 2 of the American 

 kinds only being perennial ; namely, L. pcrennis and 

 L. nootkatensis from the North-west Coast. With 2 

 or 3 exceptions of simple leaved species, they have 

 digitated or fingered leaves, with the leaflets nearly 

 arranged in a circle. The flowers are in spikes, of 

 various colours ; as white, yellow, blue, and variegated. 

 The white Lupin is cultivated in the South of Europe 

 for food. After being made acquainted with the genus, 

 it is unnecessary here to describe the specific charac- 

 ter of our rather common and beautiful blue perennial, 

 digitate leaved Lupin, as you cannot confound it with 

 any other native species, when you have, from appear- 

 ances, such as its copiously running roots, ascertained 



