ASTRAGALUS. 
Tourn. in L. Gen. 215 (1837). Sp. Pl. 755. (1753). Cystium 
Stev., Hamosa Medic., Homalobus Nutt., Hypoglottis Fourr., 
Onix Spiesia and Aragallus Necker never had any species 
described with them till the recognized genera were published 
with species. Astragalus was first published by Tournefort 
without species, then by Linneus in his Genera, Phaca pre- 
ceeding it and having its first publication in the Genera as an 
equivalent of Astragaloides Tournefort. Linneus recognizing 
Tournefort as the author of Astragalus. The same order of 
genera was retained in the Species Plantarum, Linneus re- 
garding both genera as having been previously published. The 
botanical world is therefore justified in retaining Astragalus 
on the merging of Phaea with it. 
Calyx 5-toothed. Petals with elaws, 5, the upper the ban- 
ner and broader than the rest and mostly areuate and with re- 
flexed sides, the center occupied by a deep groove or suleus 
running lengthwise, at or near the eenter when the banner 
is eolored is a variable white spot, the tip mostly notehed. On 
each side, a little below the banner, are the two wings which 
are narrowly eared below and more or less adhering to the keel 
and variably oblique, entire or only notehed, mostly longer 
than the keel and shorter than the banner. The keel is formed 
by the two lower petals adhering by their lower edges to the tip 
like the keel of a boat in general appearance and very oblique, 
and inclosing the stamens and pistil. Stamen 10, diadelphous, 
9 and 1. Pistil simple and mostly l-eelled. Stigma terminal, 
minute. Fruit a pod seed-bearing along the upper suture. 
Seeds on slender stalks, reniform. Texture of pods from 
fleshy to papery, the eavity generally larger than the seeds. 
Herbs or rarely a little shrubby below. Leaves with odd-pinate 
leaflets (reduced to the simple leaf-like rachis in A. simpli- 
cifolius, and to a single, large, leathery, jointed leaflet in A. 
Aselepiadoides). Distinguished from Oxytropis by the keel 
tip not being abruptly turned out in a sharp beak or when this 
is true then the wings are not greatly lobed as in Oxytropis. 
Distinguished from Crotalaria by the diadelphous stamens 
and flowers never truly yellow. ne za 
