FABACEAE 639 



2-toothed, the lower lobes attenuate, the middle lobe twice the length of the later ones : 

 corolla purple, 6-8 mm. long : loment 1-3 cm. long or longer, 3-6-jointed, the joints 5-12 

 mm. long, half-rhombic, straightish, somewhat convex, or sharply angled on the dorsal 

 suture, the stipe half the length of the lower joint or less, sometimes nearly as long. 

 In woodlands, Ontario to Minnesota, Florida and Texas. Summer and fall. 



21. Meibomia 8Illino6nsis (A. Gray) Kuntze. Stems erect, 6-9 dm. high, stout, 

 sulcate, pubescent : stipules 1-1.5 cm. long, ovate, acute, cordate, ciliate, persistent : 

 petioles 2.5-5 cm. long : leaflets 3, the blades 5-9 cm. long, light yellowish green, oblong 

 or ovate-lanceolate or lanceolate, obtuse, leathery, ciliate, scabrous on both surfaces, strongly 

 reticulated and cinereous beneath, the lateral leaflets somewhat shorter and narrower than 

 the terminal one : racemes simple or rarely panicled, naked : bracts caducous, 5-8 mm. 

 long, ovate-lanceolate, ciliate : upper calyx-lip minutely 2-toothed, the lower one deeply 

 3-toothed, with the middle lobe attenuated : corolla purple, turning brown in drying, 8-10 

 mm. long : loment 3-7 -jointed, 2-4 cm. long, mostly in pairs, merely sinuate on both 

 sutures, the joints about 5 mm. long, oval or nearly orbicular, densely uncinate-pubescent, 

 the stipe longer than the calyx-lobes. 



In dry grounds and on prairies, Illinois to Nebraska^and Texas. Summer and fall. 



22. Meibomia Canade'risis (L. ) Kuntze. Stems erect, 6-9 dm. high, striate, some- 

 what hirsute with short spreading hairs or nearly glabrous : stipules lanceolate-linear, 5- 

 10 mm. long, ciliate, mostly persistent : lower petioles 1-2 cm. long : upper leaves sessile 

 or nearly so ; leaflets 3, the blades 4-10 cm. long, oblong or oblong-lanceolate, obtuse, 

 glabrous or somewhat scabrous and dark-green above, appressed-pubescent, paler and some- 

 times reticulated beneath : racemes mostly panicled : bracts ovate-lanceolate, 6-9 mm. 

 long, attenuated, striate, ciliate, pubescent, caducous : calyx-lobes attenuate, the upper 

 lip 2-toothed ; lower lobes elongated : corolla bluish purple, or rarely whitish, 8-12 mm. 

 long, showy : loment about 2.5 cm. long, 3-5-jointed, somewhat curved, sessile in the 

 calyx or very short-stalked, the joints 5 mm. long, nearly oval or obtusely half -rhomboid, 

 the stipe rarely as long as the calyx. 



In dry rich Avoods, New Brunswick to Saskatchewan, North Carolina and the Indian Territory. 

 Summer and fall. 



23. Meibomia rfgida (Ell.) Kuntze. Stems erect, 6-9 dm. high, rigid, striate, 

 minutely pubescent : stipules small, caducous : upper leaves sessile or nearly so, the lower 

 short-petioled ; leaflets 3, the blades ovate-oblong or elliptic, 2.5-8 cm. long, obtuse, often 

 mucronulate, yellowish green and mostly scabrous above, pubescent and reticulated be- 

 neath, the lateral leaflets smaller : racemes panicled, or sometimes simple, 4-5 mm. long : 

 bracts caducous, very small : upper calyx-lip entire or minutely 2-toothed : loment 2-3- 

 jointed or rarely 4-jointed, 8-15 mm. long, the joints 3-5 mm. long, obliquely oval or 

 half-obovate, rarely angled on the dorsal suture, very short-stipitate. 



In dry soil, Massachusetts to Michigan, Nebraska, Florida and Texas. Summer and fall. 



24. Meibomia obtusa (Muhl. ) Vail. Stems erect, 6-12 dm. high, hirsute or mi- 

 nutely pubescent : leaves mostly crowded ; stipules subulate ; petioles ciliate, shorter than 

 the leaflets ; leaflets 3, the blades mostly less than 2-5 cm. long, round-ovate or oval, 

 rather leathery, somewhat scabrous above, paler, glaucous and sparingly pubescent beneath : 

 racemes panicled : bracts caducous : upper calyx-lip entire or minutely 2-toothed, the 

 lower lobes acute : corolla purple, 2-4 mm. long : loment 2-3-jointed, 10-15 mm. long, 

 the joints half-orbicular or half-obovate, the stipe not longer than the calyx. [Desmo- 

 dium ciliare ( Muhl. ) DC. ] 



On dry hills and in sandy fields, Ontario to Michigan, Missouri, Florida, Texas and Mexico. 

 Summer and fall. 



25. Meibomia Marylandica (L. ) Kuntze. Stems erect, 6-9 dm. high, slender, stri- 

 ate, glabrous or rarely with a few scattered hairs : leaves crowded ; stipules subulate, cadu- 

 cous ; petioles as long as the leaflets ; leaflets 3, the blades ovate or sometimes suborbicular, 

 rarely elliptical, 1-2.5 cm. long, obtuse, glabrous or rarely with a few hairs and glaucous 

 beneath : racemes simple or panicled : upper calyx-lip emarginate, obliquely and mi- 

 nutely 2-toothed ; the lower lobes acute : loment 10-15 mm. long, 1-3-jointed, the joints 

 obliquely oval or half -orbicular, the stipe mostly longer than the calyx. 



In copses, Massachusetts to Michigan, Missouri, Florida and Louisiana. Summer and fall. 



26. Meibomia purpurea (Mill. ) Vail. Shrubby. Stems stout, 6 dm. high or taller, 

 erect, terete, pubescent : leaves 4-20 cm. long ; stipules 10-15 mm. long, ovate, obliquely 

 cordate, attenuate, ciliate, striate, often turning purplish, spreading or reflexed, persistent ; 

 petioles 2-8 cm. long or more ; stipels 4-8 mm. long, linear-lanceolate ; leaflets 3, the 

 blades ovate, ovate-oblong or elliptical, 2-11 cm. long, obtuse, mucronate or mucronulate, 

 glabrate or scabrous above, pubescent and often reticulated beneath, the lateral leaflets 



