94 KEY AND FLORA 



Calyx becoming slightly inflated in fruit. Corolla yellowish white, 

 tinged with purple. Stamens monadelphous. In the Coast Moun- 

 tains from Monterey County to Puget Sound. 



IX. ASTRAG'ALUS, Rattleweed, Loco-weed 



Herbs 'with odd-pinnate leaves and numerous leaflets. 

 Flowers in racemes or spikes, on axillary peduncles. Stamens 

 diadelphous (9 and 1). Keel of the corolla blunt at tip. 

 Legumes mmierous, more or less 2-celled by one or both sutures 

 projecting inwards, often inflated like a bladder so as to secure 

 disjjersion of the seed by the luhid. Several species are poison- 

 ous to cattle and sheep. Almost all are perennials. The 

 species are numerous and too difficult for beginners. 



X. VICIA, Vetch 



Vines, with the leaves terminating in tendrils. Stipules semi- 

 sagittate. Flowers solitary or in loose axillary racemes. Sta- 

 mens diadelphous. Stigma a round hairy ball at the tip of the 

 slender style. Legumes similar to those of the common pea. 



a. V. gigante'a Hook. Perennials, stout, climbing high over the 

 bushes. Leaflets from 10 to 15 pairs. Corollas reddish or dirty white, 

 turning brown. Pods becoming black ivhen ripe, each seed encircled by its 

 stalk. This is common in moist places from San Francisco northward. 



b. V. America'na Muhl. Pea Vine. Perennial, generally low. 

 Leaflets from 4 to 8 pairs, linear, genei-ally truncate or toothed at 

 apex. Flowers bluish, in few-fowered racemes. Legumes smooth. 

 Seeds 3-6, dark purple. Widely distributed. 



XL LATH'YRUS, Wild Pea 



This is similar to Vicia, except that the tendrils are absent 

 in some species, the flowers are larger, the leaflets broader, 

 and, most important, the style is hairy not only at the tip, 

 but also down the inner side. 



The species are difficult to distinguish. 



Suborder II. — C^SALPIN'E-ffi 



Flowers more or less irregular. Corolla not truly papilio- 

 naceous, with the petal that answers to the standard folded 



