8 
A genus of about 1500 species growing in all the life zones. It 
contains a toxic alkaloid or glucoside which causes derangement of 
the brain functions and affecting the motor nerves when fresh. The 
early species like A. mollissimus, lentiginosus and others, which 
come out before the grass is grown enough to eat, often poison horses. 
Sheep are sometimes killed by Canadensis in summer in the same 
way when other forage is eaten out so that they have to feed on this, 
but no stock naturally eat any species of Astragalus. 
SYSTEMS OF CLASSIFICATION. 
Many attempts have been made to segregate the genus into sub- 
genera, but all efforts have been abortitve for the reason that the 
spcies are too closely related to make any such arrangement satisfact- 
ory. The attempt to segregate the species into several genera has 
been still more abortive. Oxytropis can be kept out on the flimsiest 
of characters only. 
DeCANDOLLE’S REVISION. 
DeCandolle in the Prodromus pp. 281-807 attempts to arrange the 
World’s species under four general classes according to the color of 
the flowers and the presence cf spines. His first class is the Purpur- 
ascentes with free stipules and purple flowers. His sub-groups under 
this are the Hypoglottidei with 23 species, the Dissitiflori with 41 
species Onybrychoidei with 35 species, Sesamei with 8 species, Vesicarli 
with 4 species, Annulares with 10 species, 
His second class is the Ochroleuci with free stipules and cream- 
colored flowers. His sub-groups are Bucerates with 11 species, Syn- 
ochreati with 10 species, Ciceroidei with 20 species, Galegiformes 
with 4 species Alonpecuroidei with 8 species, Christiani with 5 species. 
His third class is the Tragacanthacei with adnate stipules and 
38 species and the Chroncpodii with 2 spceies. 
His fourth class is the Podochreati with adnate stipules, and 
spinescent or persistent petioles. This contains the Tragacanthae with 
petioles not indurate nor spinescent. This contains the Anthophylloidei 
with 14 species, the Caprini with 22 species, the Incani with 12 species 
and the Radiciflori with 11 species. 
we are not concerned with his last two classes as none of the 
‘ species are North American. : 
His Ochroleuci contains the Galegiformes with our A, racemosus 
and is characterized by the free stipules, cream-colored flowers ani 
stipitate pods. This class also contains the Ciceroidei with our A. 
strigulosus, glaber and Canadensis. Its character is free stipules, p^- 
duncled spikes, cream-colored flowers, perennials, sessile pods. Now 
A. strigulosus has stipitate pods and often purple flowers and with 
intruded septum. A. Canadensis has 2-celled pods fleshy and with 
peculiar flowers. A. glaber has 1-celled pods and long and distant 
racemes. The plants are not at all related. His Synochreati contains 
A. reptans which is related to A. strigulosus and has connate stipules 
and light-colored flowers and papery pods. His Bucerates contains no 
North American species, but A. hamosus is like many of our Hamosi. 
The group character is curved pods, free stipules, cream-colored 
flowers, and annual plants, but our flowers are as often purple as not, 
stipules often united, and roots often perennial. | 
. His Purpurascentes Class has A. Nuttallianus in the Annulares and 
.. its character is annual roots, free stipules curved pods, variable - 
_ flowers but supposed to be purple. The pods of Nuttallianus are often - 
