LOTUS.] LEGVMIXOSsE 97 



teeth slender, longer than the tube, reaching f way up the petals. 

 DISTRIB. Europe, ]S T . Africa, Siberia, W. Asia. 



VAR. 1, di/u'aiis, Smith (sp.); flowers 1-2, standard broader than long fading 

 green, pod 1-1 \ in. VAR. 2. his'pidus, Desf. (sp.) ; more silky, flowers 

 2-4, standard longer than broad not fading green, pod ^-jj in. Lizard, 

 Land's End, Dartmouth, &c. 



11. ASTRAG'ALUS, L. MlLK-VETCH. 



Herbs or shrabs. Leaves pinnate with a terminal leaflet, rarely 3-folio- 

 late ; leaflets entire ; stipules free connate or adnate to the petiole. 

 Flowers in axillary racemes or spikes ; bracts small. Calyx tubular ; 

 teeth 5, subequal. Petals usually narrow with long claws ; keel obtuse. 

 Upper filament free ; anthers uniform. Ovary sessile or stalked ; style 

 filiform, beardless, stigma terminal ; ovules many. Pod 2-valved, often 

 longitudinally 2-celled by the inflexion of the suture next to the keel. 

 DISTRIB. Temp, and cold regions ; most abundant in Asia ; absent in 

 S. Africa and Australia ; species 500. ETYM. doubtful. 



1. A. glycyphil'los, L. ; glabrous, stipules free, flowers racemed, 

 peduncles much shorter than the leaves, pods suberect exserted elongate 

 many-seeded. 



Fields and copses ; chiefly on the E. coasts, from Ross and Banff southwards ; 

 absent from Ireland ; fl. June-Sept. Rootstock short, stout. Stems 2-3 ft., 

 prostrate, stout, zig-zag. Leaves 4-6 in. ; leaflets J-li in., broadly oblong, 

 obtuse, glabrous above, slightly hairy below ; stipules 1 in., ovate-lanceolate, 

 acute, lower auricled. Racemes 1-2 in., compact, ovoid ; bracts subulate, 

 longer than the short pedicels. Flowers % in., creamy white. Calyx cam- 

 panulate, half as long as the petals. Pod 1-1^ in., linear, terete, curved, 

 acuminate, 2-celled, pale. Heeds many, pale, compressed. DISTRIB. 

 Europe, N. Asia. 



2. A. hypoglot'tis, L. ; hairy, stipules connate, flowers spiked, pe- 

 duncles usually much longer than the leaves, pods very short ovoid 

 suberect included 2-seeded. 



Gravelly and chalky soil in the E. counties, from Ross to Essex ; Isle of 

 Arran only in Ireland ; fl. June-July. Clothed with soft white hairs 

 mixed with black above. Rootstock very slender, straggling, branching. 

 .S/' fas 2-6 in., slender, ascending. Leaves 2-4 in.; leaflets J~| in., many, 

 oblong or linear-oblong, obtuse. Spikes 1 in., ovoid ; peduncles stout. 

 Flmi-ers \-\ in., blue-purple. Calyx with black hairs, longerthan the bracts. 

 J'<1 shortly stipitate. DISTRIB. Arctic and Alpine Europe, N. Asia, E. and 

 W. N. America. 



3. A. alpinus, L. ; decumbent, pilose, stipules free, flowers shortly 

 racemose or subcapitate, peduncles rather shorter than the leaves, pods 

 oblong pendulous exserted few-seeded. Phaca Astragali! na, DC. 

 Aberdeen and Forfar, very rare; Craig-an-dal near Braemar, and head of 



Glendole; alt. 2,400-2,600 ft.; fl. July. Perennial, more slender than A. 

 hypoglottis ; leaves very similar ; peduncles shorter ; flowers horizontal or 

 drooping, pale blue tipped with purple ; calyx shorter. Pod ^ in., 1-celled, 

 stalk longer than the calyx, hence wholly exserted, covered with black 

 hairs. DISTRIB. Arctic and Alpine Europe, N. Asia, E. and W. N. America. 



