320 Order 46.— LEGUMINOSuE. 



with a broadly expanded banner. In medicine- tho leaves are used instead of 

 senna. Jn. — Aug. \ 



44. WISTARIA, Nutt. (In memory of Caspar Wistar, M.I)., 

 President of Am. Phil. Soc.) Calyx bilabiate, upper lip emarginate, 

 the lower one 3 subequal teeth ; vexillum with 2 callosities ascending 

 the claw r.:i<l separating above ; wings and keel falcate, the former ad- 

 hering at top; legume torulous; seeds many, reniform. — Twining, 

 shrubby plants, with pinnate lvs. Rac. large, with large, colored bracts. 

 Fls. lilac-colored. 



1 W. frutescens DO. Sts. pubescent when young, at length glabrous ; lfts. 9 to 

 13, ovate or elliptic-lanceolate, acute, subpubescent ; wings with 2 auricles at 

 base ; ova. glabrous. — An ornamental, vigorous vine, in rich alluvion, S.' & W. 

 States. Sts. several yards long, climbing over bushes, etc. Lfts. 1 to 2' by \ to 

 1'. Ms. nearly as larg3 as those of the sweet pea, numerous, in rac. 3 to 6 or 8' 

 long, sheathed in very conspicuous bracts. Sds. spotted. Apr., May. f (Glycino 

 frutescens L. Thyosanthus Ell.) 



2 "W. consequana Benth. Lfts. 9 to 13, ovate-lanceolate, silky-pubescent; 

 rac. terminal, nodding, loosely many-flowered. — .V splendid flowering vine from 

 China. St. of rapid growth, 12f or more iu length. Fls. in long, pendulous 

 clusters. May, Jn. \ 



45. ATIQS, L. Ground Nut. ('Attloc;, the pear ; from the form of 

 its tubers.) Calyx campanulate, obscurely bilabiate, the upper lip of 2 

 very short, rounded teeth, the 2 lateral teeth nearly obsolete, the lower 

 one acute and elongated ; keel falcate, pushing back the broad, plicate 

 vexillum at top ; ovary sheathed at base. — U Twining, smooth. Root 

 bearing edible tubers. Lvs. pinriately 5 to 7-foliate. 



A- tuberosa Ph. St. twining; lvs. pinnate, of 7 ovate-lanceolate lfts.; rac. 

 shorter than tho lvs. — Thickets and shady woods, Can. and U. S., twining about 

 other plants. St. round, 2 to 4f in length. Lvs. rather numerous, each consist- 

 ing of 3 (rarely 2) pairs of leaflets and an odd terminal one. These are ovate, 

 narrow, more or less pointed, smooth, on short pedicels. Rac. axillary, solitary, 

 1 to 3' long, crowded. 'Fls. dark purple. To the root aro appended oval, fleshy 

 tubers, which are very nutritious, and would perhaps be cultivated had we not 

 the potato. JL, Aug. (Glycine Apios L.) 



46. VIG'NA, Savi. (In memory of Dominic Vigna, Commentator 

 on Theophrastus.) Calyx of 4 lobes, the upper twice broader, the 

 lower longer; vexillum broad with 2 callosities near the base of the 

 limb ; keel not twisted ; stigma lateral ; legume terete ; seeds not com- 

 pressed. — Twining herbs. Lvs. pinnately trifoliate. 



V. hirsuta Feay. Plant hirsute, the stem retrorsely so ; cal. with 1 bractlet at 

 base, segm. all acute, the lower acuminate ; lfts. ovate-lanceolate, pointed. — Rice 

 Celd dams, Savannah (Feay), swamps, N. Orleans (Hale). Sts. scrambling over 

 bushes, many feet long, slender. Lfts. 2 to 3' by \ to 1', with scattered, ap- 

 pressed hairs buth sides, and minute stipels. Ped. 8 to 12' long, 3 to 5-flowered 

 at tho top. Fls. pale ) r ellow, the banner 6" long and 9" broad. Pods 2' long, 

 with 4 to G large, black, polyhedral seeds. Oct., Nov. (V- glabra Savi? Doli- 

 chos luteolus Ell.) 



47. RHYNCHCTSIA, DC. (Gr. pvyxoc, a beak ; in reference to the 

 projecting keel.) Calyx somewhat bdabiate, or 4-parted, with the up- 

 per segm. 2 cleft ; vexillum without callosities ; keel falcate ; style 

 glabrous ; legume oblique, short, compressed, 1 to 2-seeded ; seeda 

 carunculate. — 4 Erect, or twining. Lvs, resinous-dotted beneath, piiv 

 natcly 3-foliatc, sometimes reduced to a single leaflet. Fls. yellow. 



