Blue to Purple Flowers 267 



Astragalus adsurgcns from Oxytropis viscida (which it 

 much resembles) is by observing two things. In the first 

 place, the flower-stalks of the Astragalus branch out from 

 all parts of the main stems of the plant, together with the 

 leaf-stalks; whereas the flower-stalks of the Oxytropis are 

 naked and grow directly up from the base of the plant. In 

 the second place, the keel of the Astragalus flower is 

 rounded, whereas that of the Oxytropis is very pointed. 



Astragalus hypo glottis, or Purple Milk Vetch, very 

 closely resembles the preceding species, but may be distin- 

 guished from it by the fact that its leaflets are indented or 

 notched at the tips, whereas those of the Ascending Milk 

 Vetch are slightly rounded and perfectly entire. 



Astragalus alpinus, or Alpine Milk Vetch, is a dainty 

 pale mauve species, with small loosely flowered heads and 

 delicate foliage. It is frequently found at very high alti- 

 tudes. 



Astragalus Macounii, or Macoun's Milk Vetch, is a tall 

 plant with sparse foliage and a few long loosely flowered 

 heads of pale mauve, or white tinged and edged with mauve. 

 The stems grow very erect and are quite slender. It usu- 

 ally is found in rocky places. 



Astragalus convallarius, or Slender Milk Vetch, is a 



lovely fragile species, quite unmistakable by reason of its 



very fine grass-like stems, tiny, narrow, silky leaflets, and 



little, scanty, pinkish-mauve blossoms, that grow far apart 



in long slender racemes, giving the plant a beautiful feathery 



appearance. 



ALPINE OXYTROPE 



Oxytropis viscida. Pea Family 



Stems: viscid-pubescent. Leaves: odd-pinnate; leaflets in numerous 

 pairs, oblong-lanceolate, somewhat acute. Flowers: peduncles longer 



