LEGUMINOS^E. CXXX. OXYTROPIS. CXXXI, ASTRAGALUS. 



253 



games oblong-subulate, 1 -celled, pubescent. < . H. Native 

 of Siberia, in sandy places along the banks of the river Irtish. 

 Astragalus floribundus, Pall. astr. p. 47. t. 37. Flowers nu- 

 merous, elegant, of a purplish rose-colour. 



Bundle-flowered Mountain Milk-Vetch. PI. ^ to 1 foot. 



47 O. GLA'BRA (D. C. astr. no. 31. t. 8.) plant caulescent, 

 prostrate, glabrous ; leaflets lanceolate-elliptic, acuminated ; 

 peduncles much longer than the leaves ; flowers in spikes, re- 

 mote ; legumes pendulous, pubescent. "i(. . H. Native of Si- 

 beria, Altai, and Dahuria. Very like the following. The 

 hairs on the legume are blackish, but the other parts of the 

 plant are clothed with adpressed pubescence or smooth. 



Glabrous Mountain Milk- Vetch. Fl. June, Aug. Clt. 1823. 

 PI. prostrate. 



48 O. DEFLE'XA (D. C. astr. no. 32.) plant rather pilose ; 

 stems ascending ; leaflets ovate-lanceolate, pubescent ; pedun- 

 cles much longer than the leaves ; flowers disposed in spikes ; 

 legumes pendulous, hairy, 1-celled, gaping at the apex. I/. H. 

 Native of Siberia, about the Baikal on the mountains in cold 

 springs, and North America on the banks of the Saskatchawan. 

 Astragalus deflexus, Pall. act. petr. 1776. t. 15. Lher. stirp. t. 

 80. A. hians, Jacq. icon. rar. t. 153. Astr. parviflorus, Lam. 

 Astr. retroflexus, Pall. astr. t. 27. Tnirn hians, Moench. meth. 

 162. Flowers purple. 



Deflexed-podded Mountain Milk- Vetch. Fl. June, Jul. Clt. 

 1800. PI. 1 foot. 



49 O. FISCHERI (B.C. prod. 2. p. 281.) plant caulescent, 

 assurgent, or procumbent, pubescent ; stipulas distinct ; leaflets 

 oblong-linear, rather obtuse ; peduncles longer than the leaves ; 

 flowers spicate, rather distant ; wings obtuse, somewhat emar- 

 ginate ; mucrone of keel elongated, about equal in length to the 

 wings. I/. H. Native of Siberia, on the Altaian mountains. 

 Flowers small, bluish-purple. O. versicolor, Fisch. in litt. but 

 very distinct from Astragalus versicolor. 



I'ur. ft, macrdntha (D. C. I.e.) flowers larger and rose-co- 

 loured ; leaves and calyxes much more villous. If. H. Native 

 of Siberia. Perhaps a proper species. 



Fischer's Mountain Milk- Vetch. Fl. July, Aug. PI. proc. 



50 O. VAGINATA (Fisch. in litt. D. C. prod. 2. p. 281.) 

 plant caulescent and ascending, sparingly pubescent ; stipulas 

 concrete ; leaflets elliptic ; peduncles a little longer than the 

 leaves ; spikes of flowers somewhat capitate ; wings retuse ; 

 beak of keel equal in length to the wings. If. , H. Native of 

 Siberia, on the Altaian mountains at the metal mines. Flowers 

 large, blue. It differs from O. Fischeri macrdntha in the sti- 

 pulas being joined into one. Legumes unknown. 



Sheathed-stiyuled Mountain Milk-Vetch. PI. ascending. 



51 O. TEKE'LLA (Fisch. in litt. D. C. prod. 2. p. 281.) stems 

 short, diffuse, or procumbent, pubescent ; stipulas concrete ; 

 leaflets elliptic or oblong-linear, acutish, clothed on both surfaces 

 with adpressed silky down ; peduncles longer than the leaves ; 

 flowers disposed in a spike, rather distant ; wings entire ; mu- 

 crone of keel about equal in length to the wings ; legumes 

 nearly terete, acute, straight, 1-celled. If. H. Native of 

 Scythia. Flowers small, bluish-purple. 



Tender Mountain Milk-vetch. PI. diffuse. 



52 O. DICHO'PTERA (D. C. astr. no. 33. exclusive of the sy- 

 nonymes) plant caulescent, ascending, pubescent ; stipulas joined ; 

 leaflets oblong, acute ; peduncles equal in length to the leaves ; 

 flowers capitate ; wings emarginate ; mucrone of keel small. 

 If . H. Native of Siberia. Flowers blue. 



Fork-winged Mountain Milk-Vetch. Fl. July. Clt. 1815. 

 PI. ascending. 



Cult. All the species of this genus are very elegant when in 

 bloom, and being tor the most part dwarf evergreen plants, are 

 very proper for ornamenting rock-work, or the front of flower- 



borders. For this purpose the seeds of the species, whether 

 perennial or annual, should be sown where the plants are to 

 remain, especially those which are intended for rock-work, as 

 it has been observed that no species of this genus thrives after 

 being transplanted. The rarer kinds may be kept in pots, well 

 drained with sherds, in a mixture of peat, sand, and a little loam, 

 and treated as other alpine plants. 



CXXXI. ASTRA'GALUS (from a<rrpaya\oc, aslragalos, 

 vertebra or talus ; the seeds in the legumes in some species 

 being squeezed into a squarish form in the legume, or perhaps 

 aoTjjp, aster, a star, and yciXn, gala, milk. It is also the name 

 of a shrub of Greek writers). D. C. astrag. no. 5. ed. maj. 

 p. 22. and p. 79. prod.. 2. p. 281. Astragalus species of Linneus 

 and others. 



LIN. SYST. Diadelphia, Decdndria. Calyx 5-toothed. Keel 

 of flower obtuse. Stamens diadelphous. Legume bilocular or 

 half bilocular, from the upper suture being bent in so much. 

 Herbs or subshrubs. The species of this genus are very dis- 

 tinct, but are very difficult to define. The following sections 

 and divisions have been adopted with a view to define them 

 more completely, viz. 



I. PURPURASCE'NTES. Stipulas free from the petiole. Flowers 

 purplish. This section contains the following divisions : Hypo- 

 glottldci, Dissitiflori, Unobrycholdei, Scsamei, Vesicarli, and 

 Annulares, see species 1 to 94. 



II. OCHROLEU'CI. Stipulas free from the petiole. Flowers 

 cream-coloured. To this section belongs the following divisions : 

 Bucerates, Synochreati, Ciceroidei, Galegiformes, Alopccuroldei, 

 Christidni, see species 95 to 154. 



III. TRAGACANTHA'CEI. Stipulas aclnate to the petiole. Pe- 

 tioles permanent, usually becoming hardened into spines. To 

 this section belong two divisions, viz. Tragacdnlhae and Chro- 

 nopodii, see species 155 to 196. 



IV. PODOCHREA ( TI. Stipulas adnate to the petioles. Petioles 

 never becoming indurated. To this section the following divi- 

 sions belong, viz. Anthylloidei, Capnni, Incani, and RaJit'iflbri, 

 see species 197 to 257. 



SERIES I. PURPURASCE'NTES (so called from the flowers being 

 purple or purplish). D. C. prod. 2. p. 281. Stipulas free from 

 the petiole. Flowers purplish. 



1. Hypoglottidei (viro, hypo, under, and yXwrra, glotta, a 

 tongue ; in reference to the shape of the pods). D. C. prod. 

 2. p. 281. Flowers purplish or white. Stipulas free from the 

 petiole, but joined together, therefore they appear as if they mere 

 bifid at the apex and opposite the leaves. 



1 A. HYPOGLOTTIS (Lin. mant. 274.) stems prostrate, rather 

 hairy; stipulas ovate, concrete; leaves with numerous, little, 

 ovate, obtuse, dark-green leaflets, sometimes rather emarj>inate ; 

 heads of flowers roundish ; peduncles longer than the leaves, 

 ascending ; bracteas one half shorter than the tube of die calyx ; 

 the hairs on the calyxes as well as those on the peduncles are black 

 and white mixed ; legumes ovate, deeply channelled along the 

 back, compressed, hairy, hooked at the point, bilocular; cells 

 1-seeded. I/ . H. Native of Europe, on hills and mountains, also 

 of Barbarv, Tauria, Siberia, North America ; and in Britain, on 

 open mountainous heaths, in a chalky or sandy soil, also on the 

 sea-coast ; upon Newmarket and Royston heaths, on Swaflfham 

 heath, Norfolk ; Gogmagog hills. Plentiful near Doncaster, on 

 several parts of the sea-coast of Scotland, particularly beyond 

 Newhaven, Edinburgh. D. C. astr. no. 18. t. 14. Smith, engl. 

 bot. 274. A. arenarius, Huds. 323. Oed. fl. dan. 614. Pall. astr. 

 t. 34. A. Danicus, Retz. obs. fasc. 3. p. 41. Hoflfm. A. glaux, 

 Vill. Oxy'tropis montana, Spreng. fl. hal. 207. with a figure, 

 ex. Wallr. sched. 329, A. epiglottis, Dicks, hort. sic. fasc. 1-13. 



