LEGUMINOSvE. (PULSE FAMILY.) 137 



16. A. flexuoSUS, Douj^l. Ashy-puberulent, ascending (1-2° high); 

 leaflets 11-21, mostly narrow; flowers small, in loose racemes; ])o<l thin-cori- 

 aceous, cijUndric (8-11" long, 2" broad), pointed, straight or curved, puber- 

 uleut, very shortly stipitate. — Red River Valley, Minn., to Col. 



22. OXYTROPIS, DC. 



Keel tipped with a sharp projecting point or appendage ; otherwise as in 

 Astragalus. Pod often more or less 2-celled by the intrusion of the ventral 

 suture. — Our species are low, nearly acaulescent perennials, with tufts of 

 numerous very siiort stems from a hard and thick root or rootstock, covered 

 witli scaly adnate stipules ; pinnate leaves of many leaflets ; peduncles scape- 

 like, bearing a head or short spike of flowers. (Name from o^vs, sharp, and 

 rpoTTis, heel.) 



* Leaves simpli/ pinnate. 



1- O. campestris, DC, var. CSerulea, Koch. Pubescent or smoothish ; 

 leaflets lanceolate or oblong ; flowers violet or blue, sometimes pure white ; 

 pods ovate or oblong-lanceolate, of a thin or papery texture. — X. Maine to 

 Labrador. 



2. O. Lamberti, Pursh. Silki/ mth fine appressed hairs ; leaflets mostly 

 linear ; flowers larger, purple, violet, or sometimes white ; pods cartilaginous 

 or firm-coriaceous in texture, silky-pubescent, strictly erect, cylindraceous-lan- 

 ceolate and long-pointed, almost 2-celled by intrusion of the ventral suture. — 

 Dry plains, Sask. and Minn, to Mo, and Tex., west to the mountains. 



* * Leaflets numerous, most/i/ in fascicles of 3 or 4 or more along the rhachis. 



3. O. splendens, Dougl Silvery silky-villous (6-12' high) ; scape spi- 

 cately several to many-flowered : flowers erect-spreading ; pod ovate, erect, 2- 

 celled, hardly surpassing the very villous calyx — Plains of Sask. and W. Minn., 

 to X. Mex. and the Rocky Mts, 



23. GLYCYRIIHIZA, Tourn, Liquorice. 



Calyx with the two upper lobes shorter or partly united Anther-cells con- 

 fluent at the apex, the alternate ones smaller. Pod ovate or ol)long-linear, 

 compressed, often curved, clothed witli rough glands or short prickles, scarcely 

 dehiscent, few-seeded. The flower, etc., otherwise as in Astragalus — Long 

 perennial root sweet (whence the name, from y\vKvs, sweet, and piia, root) ; 

 herbage glandular-viscid; leaves odd-pinnate, witli minute stipules*, flowei's in 

 axillary spikes, white or bluish. 



1. G. lepidota, Nutt. (Wild Liquorice.) Tall (2 - 3^ high) ; leaflets 

 15-19, oblong-lanceolate, mucronate-pointed, sprinkled with little scales wlien 

 young, and with corresponding dots when old ; spikes peduncled, short ; flowers 

 whitish ; pods oblong, beset with hooked prickles, so as to resemble the fruit 

 of Xanthium on a smaller scale. — Minn, to Iowa and jMo., and westward ; Ft. 

 Erie, Ont. 



24. ^SCHYNOMENE, L. Sensitive Joixt- Vetch. 



Calyx 2-lipped ; the upper lip 2-, the lower 3-cleft. Standard roundish : 

 keel boat-shaped. Stamens diadelphous in two sets of 5 each. Pod flattened, 



