inflati, 97 
greatly obcompressed and arched, bisulcate ventrally. 
“acuminate at both ends, dorsal suture a little intruded, 
Pods arched, with sharp, raised ventral snture, 
a acute at both ends. 77 Beckwithii. 
2A. Pods triquetrous, partly 2-celled by the intrusion of.the dorsal 
suture very thin and papery and almost translucent, half-elliptical, 
about 1.5 cm. long, sessile, reflexed in short racemes as are the 
flowers. Flowers about 5 mm. long, short and broad. Slender 
and low plants related to A. Geyeri. Triquetri. 
Annuals. | 78 | triquetrus. 
Perennials. 79 Craigi. _ 
3A. Pods 2celled or nearly so, by the intrusion ‘of both sutures, in- 
flated, not over 4 cm. long, normally papery, rarely coriaceous, 
normally ovate, rarely globse or linear, always arcuate or very 
Oblique, not noticeably stipitate, jointed to calyx, mostly mottled, 
apiculate to acuminate, ovate to oblate in cross section, broadest 
and truncate at base or cordate there. Stipules small, not con- 
nate. Flowers never cream-colored, very variable in ‘size but 
normally rather small, narrow and straight, not ovet 1-5 cm. long. 
Calyx short-cylindric, with triangular teeth. Plants blooming in 
early summer. 
Pods 2-celled. A 80 lentiginosus: 
31. Astragalus pauciflorus. Hook. Fl. Bor.Am. 1,149 (1834). A. 
vexilliflexus Sheldon, Tragacantha Kuntze, Pods 5-10 mm. long, about 
3 mm. high, conspicuously laterally flattened except in the middle, 
(the cross section elliptical), oblong to elliptical-oblong very shortly api- 
culate at both ends, puberulent, reflexed, with both sutures prominent 
and the ventral thick, not sulcate, convex on both sutures, or the ven- 
-tral suture rarely straight, puberalent and ashy, splitting from the base 
through both sutures and valves falling apart, ventral suture only 
thickened within, walls rather stiff. Flowers like those of A. montanus 
but larger, 5-10 mm. long, 5-12, closely racemose, spreading to reflexed, 
purple or white. Banner oval to round, 4-8 mm. long, abruptly bent 
to erect at end of calvx, with sides reflexed about 1 mm. wide. Wings 
‘mostly white, lanceolate, 1-2 mm. shorter than banner, much arched, 
about as much longer than keel, purple-veined, Keel about 2 mm. long 
and high, abruptly eréct, the obliquely truncate, tip triangular, in- 
curved more than 90 degrees. Calyx tube Hedeoma-like, nearly tur- 
binate, about 2 mm. long, acute-»nd oblique at base, the subulate and 
curved teeth fully as long as tube.. Pedicels filiform; often twisted, 
about 2-3 mm. long, as long as the delicate and subulate bracts, Leaves 
with petiole about half the rachis. Leaflets oblong to lanceolate 
or elliptical, acute, 3-4 mm, wide, 3-6 pairs. Stipules hyaline or black 
below, 3-5 mm. long, Plants ashy with rough and flattish hairs ab- 
ruptly appressed. This grows with or near A. tenellus and can be sepa- 
rated by the sessile pods, with ventral suture less arched, mostly pur- 
ple flowers, long bracts, petioled leaves and relatively few leaflets. 
From A. Wingatensis it is separable by its habitat, not spotted pods 
and leaflets not linear, and congested habit. Rather common in moist 
valleys along creeks from the bad lands of Nebraska and Dakotah 
through Wyoming and northward and northwestward to the upper 
Waters of the Missoula and British America, at least as far north as 
the Cypress Hills. The flowers are often rather cleistogamous, and 
then minute and white. This has the habit of the Debiles and connects - 
the two groups. etd Bag oa xol QU M Ee 
