236 
SARCOCARPI 22. 
Pods wholly 2-celled, very fleshy, with thick walls which 
never become less than coriaceous when dry, opening but little at 
maturity, mostly plum-like, lanceolate in A. 'Tennesseensis, ob- 
late to round in cross-section, cordate or notched at base, rarely 
at all inflated, not stipitate, splitting the calyx, mostly sulcate at 
both sutures, 1.5-2.5 cm. long, weakly attached to the calyx, with 
ventral suture straight, rarely convex, or concave, the dorsal the 
more arched. Flowers in heads or short spikes, never small nor 
reflexcd, on peduncles shorter than the upper leaves, and on pedi- 
cels shorter than the large bracts, 1.5-2 cm. long, light-colored. 
Calyx cylindrical, 6-8 mm. long, obliquely attached by the fleshy 
base, straight, hairy, with teeth much shorter than the tube. 
Leaves larger above, the lowest ones quite small, narrow, wiih 
many leaflets which are never linear but are nearly contiguous, 
mostly flat, jointed to rachis and petiolulate, Stipules large and 
broad, hyaline and thin, adnate, not reflexed, not connate. The 
bracts lanceolate and acuminate. Stems prostrate to ascending, 
slender or with short internodes, never acaulescent though the 
internodes are often shorter than the stipules, from a thick anl. 
often woody root, in tufts. Pubescence attached by the base. 
Growing in sweet soil, never in saline places. This group is the 
nearest related to the Argophylliand Malaci. It is possible that 
A. Parryi may belong here, it has a superficial resemblance to .\. 
Teunesseensis. but the pods are thin and nearly 1-celled, and tie 
flowers and general habit are diff: rent. 
er; 
KEY 
A. Pods smooth, very fleshy, plum-shaped, very abruptly short- 
beaked. edible, with the fleshy walls 4-6 mm. thick, reflexed or widel 7 
spreading, lying flat on the ground, with the cavity somewhat large: 
than the seeds, sutures raised and thick when dry. Stems 1-2 ft. hi: h. 
Calyx very short-hairy, flowers not ochroleucous. 196 crassicarpus. 
Calyx woolly, flowers ochroleucous. 197 Mexicanus. 
2A. Pods decidedly pubescent, ovate to lanceolate, rather obliq :' 
acuminate or with a long and stout beak, somewhat fleshy but ‚walls 
rarely 2 mm. thick, sutures not evident externally. Flowers white. 
Pods short-pubescent, about ovate, finely cross-lined, abruptly stout-beaked. 
: 198 Plattensis. 
Pods sparsely long-pubescent, acuminate-lanceolate, coarsely reticulated. 
196 Tenneessens's. 
196 Astragalus crassicarpus Nutt. in Fraser's Cat. 1 (1814). Pods- 
nearly globose, a little obcompressed when fresh and appearnig lat- 
_ erally flattened in most herbarium specimens and greatly and coarse- 
_ ly wrinkled for the most part, about 2.5 cm. long and 1.5 cm. wide,  — 
sulcate at both sutures when fresh and appearing laterally flattened — 
