Vor. II.] PEA FAMILY. 321 
22. Meibomia obtusa (Muhl.) Vail. Hairy 
Small-leaved Tick-trefoil. (Fig. 2191.) 
Hedysarum obtusum Muhl.; Willd. Sp. Pl. 3: 1190. 1803. 
Hedysarum ciliare Muhl.; Willd. Sp. Pl. 3: 1196. 1803. 
Desmodium ciliare DC. Prodr. 2: 329. 1825. 
Meibomia obtusa Vail, Bull. Torr. Club, 19: 115. 1892. 
Erect, bushy, 2°-3° high, pubescent. Stipules subu- 
late, deciduous; leaves crowded; petioles ciliate, shorter 
than the leaflets; leaflets broadly ovate or oval, obtuse, 
somewhat coriaceous, more or less pubescent on both 
sides, ciliate, 6’’-12’’ long; racemes terminal, compound 
or simple, uncinate-pubescent; upper lobe of the calyx 
entire or minutely 2-toothed, the lower ones acute; 
flowers 1//-2// long; loment 2-3-jointed, the joints 
obliquely oval; stipe not exceeding the calyx-lobes. 
Dry soil, Ontario to Massachusetts and Florida, west to 
Michigan and Texas. July-—Oct. 
i i 
35. LESPEDEZA Michx. Fl. Bor. Am. 2: 70. 1803. 
Herbs, often somewhat woody, with pinnately 3-foliolate leaves, small stipules, and 
small purple or whitish flowers in axillary clusters, heads or panicles. Flowers often of 2 
kinds intermixed, the one petaliferous and mainly sterile, the other minute, apetalous, 
abundantly fertile. Calyx-lobes nearly equal. Standard in the petaliferous flowers obovate 
or oblong, clawed; wings oblong; keel incurved. Stamens more or less diadelphous (9 and 
1); anthers all alike. Ovary sessile or stipitate, 1-ovuled. Pod ovate, oblong, oval or sub- 
orbicular, flat, indehiscent, reticulated, composed of a single joint, or rarely with a second 
stalk-like joint at the base. [Named for Lespedez, governor of Florida, patron of Michaux. ] 
A genus of about 35 species, natives of eastern North America, Asia and Australia. 
Perennials; stipules and bracts subulate; calyx-lobes narrow. 
* Both petaliferous and apetalous flowers present; corolla purple or purplish; pod exserted. 
Peduncles slender and mostly exceeding the leaves. 
Petaliferous flowers capitate or spicate. 
Plants trailing or diffusely procumbent, 
Glabrous or appressed-pubescent. 1. L. repens. 
Woolly or downy-pubescent, 2. L. procumbens. 
Plants erect, rather stout, pubescent. 3. L. Nuttalliz, 
Petaliferous flowers loosely paniculate; stem erect or ascending. 4. L. violacea. 
Flower-clusters of both kinds sessile or nearly so. 
Leaflets oval, oblong or orbicular. 
Foliage densely downy-pubescent. 
Foliage glabrate or appressed-pubescent. . L. frutescens. 
Leaflets linear or linear-oblong. . L. Virginica. 
% % Flowers all complete; corolla whitish or yellowish; pod included or scarcely exserted. 
Leaves oblong, ovate-oblong, or nearly orbicular. 
. L. Stuvet. 
SOW 
Peduncles exceeding the leaves. 8. L. hirta. 
Peduncles shorter than the leaves. 9. L. capitata. 
Leaves linear or linear-oblong; peduncles elongated. woe Ges: Ce 
Spikes densely-flowered. alae 10. L. angustifolia. 
Spikes interrupted, loosely-flowered. ur. L. leplostachya. 
Annual; stipules ovate; calyx-lobes broad. 12. L. striata. 
1. Lespedeza répens (I,.) Bart. 
Creeping Bush-clover. (Fig. 2192.) 
Hedysarum repens I, Sp. Pl. 749. 1753. 
L. repens Bart. Prodr, Fl, Phil. 2:77. 1818. 
Trailing or diffusely procumbent, gla- 
brate or appressed-pubescent, tufted, stems 
slender, simple or somewhat branched, 
6’-24’ long. Petioles shorter than the 
leaves; stipules subulate, about 1/’ long; 
leaflets oval or obovate, obtuse or retuse 
at the apex, narrowed or rounded at the 
base, 3/’-8’” long; peduncles of the petal- 
iferous flower-clusters slender, much ex- 
ceeding the leaves; inflorescence rather 
loose; corolla violet-purple, 2’’-3/’ long; 
pod oval-orbicular, acute, finely pubes- 
cent, 144’ long. 
In dry or sandy soil, Long Island to Flor- 
ida, Minnesota and Texas. Aug.—Sept. 
