46 NORTH AMERICAN 



scariose fewer, rays 3 to 5, floscules 4 to 5. 



320. Lax ANON diversifolium Raf, quite 

 smooth, stem and branches flexuose, radical 

 and lower leaves narrow pinnatifid segments 

 oblong unequal remote falcate, upper leaves 

 graminiform obtuse entire, umbels 2-3flore, pe- 

 duncles unequal smooth, filiform, sepals of pe- 

 rianthe ovatoblong obtuse — in Arkanzas, col- 

 lected by Nuttal, found in Collins herb, among 

 the Krigias as a N. G, not named : it is a se- 

 cond sp. of my G. Laxanon see 204. Habit of 

 a Krigia, lower leaves similar 4 or 5 inches 

 long, stem pedal, leaves narrow 2 or 3 inches 

 long, the 2 last subopposite forming a kind of 

 involucre to the small umbellule, seeds ovate 

 oblong striate. 



321. BAPTISIA Vent. &c. This fine Ge- 

 nus of N. Amer. plants had been blended with 

 the African Sophoras and Podalyrias till lately. 

 Even now it includes 3 or 4 distinct Genera ! 

 Our compilers had only 8 sp. Nuttal had added 

 3 hardly congeneric, 1 shall add some others, 

 and thus we shall have 15 sp. but now distribt- 

 ed in 4 Genera of which I will give short mo- 

 nographs. They are Baptisia, Ripasia, La- 



sinia and Pericaulon which differ more 



in habit and characters, than from the akin 

 Genera Podalyria^ Thermopsis, Rafnia^ Tern- 

 pletonia, Pitcheria Slc. 



Baptisia Raf. calix urceolate unequally 4fid 

 one tooth oflen emarginate, petals subequal pa- 

 pilionaceous, vexillum emarginate revolute 

 wings callose or toothed inside, keel subequal 

 obtuse, stamens 10 free unequal, style curved 

 simple, stigma obtuse. Pod stipitate ovate or 

 globose ventricose smooth polysperm. — Peren- 

 nial plants^ leaves trifoliate subsessile, not 



