FABACEAE 



635 



culata. 



ft Leaflets with ovate or oval blades: racemes terminal as well as 



axillary. 

 Corolla cream-colored or ochroleucous : stipules ovate : racemes 



mostly simple. 6. M. ochroleuca, 



Corolla purple : stipules subulate : racemes mostly paniculate. 7. M. glabella. 



** Stems erect or ascending. 



Petioles wanting or very short. 8. M. sessilifolia. 



Petioles manifest. 



Leaflets with narrowly linear blades. 



Joints of the pod with a straight or depressed back, triangular in 



outline. 9. M. stricta. 



Joints of the pod with a rounded back, not'triangular in outline. 10. M. tenuifolia. 

 Leaflets with lanceolate to ovate or rhomboidal blades, never linear. 

 Joints of the loments manifestly longer than broad. 



Bracts subtending the flowers small and inconspicuous : blades 



of the leaflets reticulated. 



Pods not more pubescent on the edges than the sides. 11. M. canescens. 



Pods copiously ciliate. 



Blades of the lateral leaflets not subcordate at the base : 



pods deeply constricted along the back. 12. M. Lindheimeri. 



Blades of the lateral leaflets subcordate at the base: 



pods not much constricted along the back. 13. M. Tweedy i. 



Bracts subtending the flowers conspicuous, mostly over 1 cm. 



long : blades of the leaflets not reticulated. 



Leaves pubescent : bracts ciliate and pubescent. 14. M. longifolia. 



Leaves glabrous : bracts not ciliate and otherwise glabrous. 15. M. bracteosa. 

 Joints of the loments barely longer than broad. 

 Foliage glabrous or slightly pubescent. 



Leaflets green beneath. 16. M. 



Leaflets conspicuously glaucous beneath. 17. M. 



Foliage variously pubescent. 



Loments distinctly stalked (or sometimes sessile in M. Itti- 



noensis). 

 Leaflets with leathery blades. 



Corolla about 10 mm. long : standard 5-7 mm. broad. 



Blades of the leaflets prominently reticulated. 18. M. rhombifolia. 



Blades of the leaflets not reticulated. 19. M. viridiflora. 



Corolla 5-7 mm. long : standard about 4 mm. broad. 

 Leaflets with membranous blades. 20. M. Dillenii. 



Loments sessile or relatively short-stalked. 



Joints of the loments 4-7, 5 mm. long : corolla about 1 



cm. long. 



Leaflets with leathery blades. 21. M. lUinoensis. 



Leaflets with relatively thin blades. 22. M. Canadensis. 



Joints of the lomentsl-3, 3-5 mm. long : corolla 7-5 mm. 



long. 

 Leaflets scabrous or pubescent and ciliate. 



Terminal leaflet usually twice as long as broad. 23. M, rigida. 

 Terminal leaflet little longer than broad. 24. M. obtusa. 



Leaflets glabrous. 25. M. Marylandica. 



b. Constrictions equally deep on both sides of the loment. 26. M. purpurea. 



B. Loments not constricted into separate joints, straight above, undulate below. 



Shrub : blades of the leaflets broadest below the middle. 27. M. supina. 



I , Herb : blades of the leaflets broadest above the middle. 28. M. triflora. 



1. Meiboniia nudiflora (L. ) Kuntze. Foliage somewhat pubescent. Leaves in a 

 cluster at the summit of the 2-3 dm. high ascending or decumbent sterile stern : scapes 

 mostly naked, 3-8 dm. long : stipules setaceous, caducous : petioles 3-10 cm. long : leaflets 

 3, the blades oval or ovate, 2-8 cm. long, slightly acuminate to the blunt apex, glabrous 

 or sparingly pubescent, usually ciliate, pale beneath, the terminal leaflet somewhat 

 rhombic, the lateral inequilateral : panicle narrow, few-flowered : calyx-lobes unequal, 

 obtuse, the lower one the longest : corolla purplish ; standard with two dark spots at the 

 base : loment 2-3-jointed, rarely 4-jointed, the joints 10-13 mm. long, straight or slightly 

 concave on the dorsal suture, glabrous, the stipe nearly as long as the pedicel. 



In dry woods, Ontario to Missouri, Kansas, Florida and Louisiana. Summer. 



2. Meibomia grandiflora (Walt. ) Kuntze. Foliage pubescent with soft scattered 

 hairs or nearly glabrous. Stems erect, over 3 dm. high, angled : leaves in a cluster at the 

 summit of the stem, from which rises the long naked peduncle : petioles 7-15 cm. long ; 

 stipules setaceous, mostly persistent ; leaflets 3, the blades ovate, 5-13 cm. long, acuminate, 

 pubescent with scattered hairs on both surfaces, the terminal leaflet orbicular-ovate ; pan- 

 icles often spreading : bracts caducous : calyx-lobes minute, acutish : corolla conspic- 

 uous, bright rose-purple : loment 2-3-jointed, the joints about 1 cm. long, concave above, 

 obliquely rounded or semi-rhomboid on the ventral suture, uncinate-pubescent, but the 

 suture glabrous or nearly so, the stipe as long as the pedicel. 



In dry or rocky woods, Quebec to Minnesota, Nebraska, Florida and Texas. Summer and fall. 



3. Meibomia pauciflora (Nutt.) Kuntze. Foliage sparingly pubescent. Stems de- 

 cumbent or ascending, 3-5 dm. long, pubescent with scattered hairs : leaves distant ; stip- 

 ules caducous ; leaflets 3, the blades ovate or rhombic-ovate, 2.5-8 cm. long, acuminate or 



