169 
12 HYPOGLOTTIDES. 
Pods 2-celled, broadly oblong to linear, nearly straight but‘ 
oblique, not over 1 cm. long, inclined to be obcompressed with 
convex sides, not inflated, pubescent, not over 4mm. wide, hard- 
ly twice the calyx, minutely stipitate, opening first at tip but on-. 
ly a little at any time, with cross-section triangular-cordate to 
reniform. Flowers densely spicate or in heads or subterminal en 
rather elongated peduncles, narrow, about 1,5-2 cm. long. Calyx 
tube short-cylindric to cylindric. Stipules conspicuously connate. 
Stems tufted or many, decumbent, rarely a foot long, from per- 
ennial roots, Plants of the Middle and Upper Temperate life 
zone. 
KEY 
Pubescence rather coarse, tixed near the middle 126 nitidus 
Pubescence very fine, fixed at the base. .. 127 agrestis 
. Astragalus nitidus Douglas in Hook. Fl. Bor. Am. 1 149 (1834). 
pods sulcate, oblong to narrowly so, 7-10 mm. long, 3-4 mm. high, 
chartaceous, hoary with minute and appressed pubescence, never 
more than twice as long as calyx, rather laterally flattened toward tip, 
spicate or rarely ¿acemose, shortly stipitate, litile arcuate when longer: 
‘with ventral suture convex at tip and with. declined point; cross-sec- 
tion reniform to triangular; septum produced nearly to the ventral 
suture. Flowers quite variable but normally white, sometimes purple, 
densely set in oblong heads, appressed in flower and fruit, about 1.5 
cm.long. Banner oblong and often much elongated, 7-12 mm. long, 
variously arched below calyx tip to 20-45 degrees. Wings linear to 
oblanceolate, from a trifle longer to 4 mm. longer than keel and 2-4 
mm. shorter than banner, narrower than keel, but little arched, obtuse. 
Keel nearly the same width throughout, half-oval-obovate, from nearly 
straight along the upper side to square at the erect or slightly out- 
turned tip, colored, 3-7 mm. long, about 2-3 mm. high. Calyx tube 
short-cylindric, 3-6 mm. long and about 2 mm. high, rather acutish at 
base and equally inserted, scarcely to somewhat oblique at tip, hyaline 
and inclined to be nigrescent with closely appressed hairs, sessile, the 
subulate teeth fully half as long as tube and often with threadlike tips. 
Bracts nearly as long as calyx tube, triangular and hyaline. Pedun- 
cles about 1 dm. long, generally twice as long as spikes, sometimes 
a foot long, stout and sulcate. Leaves 7-12 cm. long. little tapering. 
all somewhat petioled but the upper petioles short. Leaflets 6-12 pairs, 
1-4 cm. long, narrowly elliptical to linear-oblong or lanceolate, 4-7 
mm, wide, flat, rather rigid, acutish to acute, closely silvery with very 
delicate hairs fixed near the middle and closely appressed, the pubes- 
cence varying from white to sparse, and plants then green. Stipules 
large, scarious. Stems decumbent, abouta foot long, with few and 
rather long internodes and many root leaves, from a thick and woody 
crown. From the Plains at Santa Fee New Mexico northward 
through Colorado and western Nebraska to Assiniboia, westward to 
