58 BOTANY OF THE ROUTE. 



Lathyetjs maritimus, Bigel. (G.) Abundant on sand)' prairies along sea-shore; April to 



July. 



L. POLYPHYLLUS, Nutt. (T.) Abundant in fir forests from Columbia river north, presenting 

 several varieties; June to July: purple. 



L. VENOSUS, Muhl., var. (T.) Fir forests Vancouver to Steilacoom; June; common. 



L. PALUSTRis, Linn. (G.,) vars. a. /?. Common everywhere in wet ground; May to October. 



L. (?) viLLOSUS, Torr. (Expl. Exped. coll. ined.,) (T.) Dry, shady fir forest near Steilacoom; 

 May 23; rare. 



Obobus littoealis, Gray, Plate VI. Astrophia littoralts, Nutt. Sandy sea-shore near 

 mouth of Columbia river at high water mark, common; flowers pale blue and white; seeds few, 

 as large as small peas; collected in flower May 23. "Villous; canescent all over; stems 

 numerous from creeping root stocks, decumbent or ascending; stipules almost as long as the 

 leaf, ovate or oblong, obtuse, the upper semihastate; leaflets one to three pairs, and with a 

 usually smaller or imperfect terminal one or a pair of such, linear spatulate; racemes, five to 

 ten flowered, dense, on an elongated peduncle; legume oblong, villous. Astrophia littoralis, 

 Nutt. in Torr. d- Gray, Fl. 1, p. 278. The specimens are in blossom, (while those of Nuttall 

 were in fruit,) and the flowers are just those of Orobus, to which genus the plant undoubtedly 

 belongs. The style accords with that of Orobus vernus, except, perhaps, the dilated and 

 flattened portion extends further down; nor does the pod furnish any distinctive character." — 

 Gray. 



PsoRALEA phYsodes, Dougl. (G.) Common on prairie near Steilacoom; June; whitish yellow, 

 (S.) "Leaves used as a poultice." — Gibbs. 



Trifolium microcephalum, Pursh. (G.) Common on inland prairies; two feet high. (Steila- 

 coom, S.) 



T. FiMBRiATUM, Lindl. var. (G.) Prairies of interior and dry parts of marshes near coast; 

 June, flowers purple, very variable, 1 — 2 feet, (S.) 



T. PROCUMBENS, Linn. (G.) Cultivated ground; probably introduced; June. 



(Medicago sativa, Linn. (G.) Steilacoom, introduced, S.) 



Melilotus parviplora, Desf. (G.) About houses, Shoalwater bay, introduced. 



HosACKiA BICOLOR, Dougl. (G.) Common on prairie near Steilacoom; June, in wet soil, 

 flowers yellow and white. 



H. decumbens, Benth. In dry soil with preceding; June, flowers yellow and red, (S.) 



H. PAEVIFLORA, Benth. (G.) On sandy prairie, Steilacoom and along the coast; June, flowers 

 very small, red and yellow. 



LuPiNUS MiCRANTHUS, Dougl. (T. & G.) Common in gravelly soil under shade, on prairie 

 near Steilacoom; May 20th, flowers blue, white, or pink on different plants, size and shape of 

 leaves variable. 



L. lepidus, Dougl. (G.) Open gravelly prairies about Puget Sound. About a foot high, in 

 flower; June 10th, violet purple. The only fragrant species I found. — (S.) 



L. POLYPHYLLUS, Lindl. (T.) Common in damp, rich woods near Steilacoom; June, often 5 

 feet high, the raceme 1^ foot long, color light or dark purple. 



L. NOOTKATENSis, Dougl. (G.) Sandy prairie along coast north of Columbia river; May 20th, 

 flowers blue, with white keel. Difi"ers from the description in wanting the " red and yellow 

 veins," and the leaflets are pubescent on both sides. Stems procumbent, spreading, 2 feet 

 long. The only species I found along the coast. The L. littoralis, Dougl., somewhat resembles 



