2^^^ Prairie Legumes 



part of the state there are found knolls often of considerable height 

 formed of drift materials, which may be considered as either rem- 

 nants of moraines or water formed kames. It is JUi interesting fact 

 of plant distribution that it was on the tops of these kames, and 

 nowhere else on the prairies, that were to be found in the early days 

 fine specimens of Astragalus nitidus Doug., usually called Astragalus 

 adsurgens Pall, in the early reports. This plant grew from a deep 

 tap-root, and its exceedingly numerous stems, branching only at the 

 base, formed a dense matted clump. Its compact spikes of purplish 

 flowers have something of the aspect of heads of the common red 

 clover. The New Gray's Manual regards the plant as identical with 

 Astragalus adsurgens Pall, but that species is regarded as growing 

 only in Asia by Dr. Rydberg, and by the New Manual of Rocky Moun- 

 tain Botany. 



On flat alkaline prairies and sometimes in river valleys Astrag- 

 alus hypoglottis L. was very common in the early days. It is a 

 slender little plant and does not form dense clumps as do many other 

 of the Astragali. The New Rocky Mountain Botany regards it as 

 identical with Astragalus goniatus Nutt., but Dr. Rydberg is of a 

 different opinion and regards the Siberian plant as distinct from the 

 American. 



On the slope of a railway cut at Ortonville there were collected 

 in 1898 a few specimens of Astragalus missouriensis Nutt. This 

 plant is new to the flora of the state, and the writer was at first 

 inclined to think that it had been introduced by the railway; but a 

 visit to the same locality a few years later led to finding many speci- 

 mens in the vicinity growing in the original prairie sod, so that it 

 may be regarded as truly indigenous. The plant is not mentioned in 

 the New Gray's Manual so that it is an addition to the "Manual re- 

 gion" as well as to the flora of the state. This plant has been 

 separated from Astragalus by Dr. Rydberg, and is placed by him in 

 his new genus Xylophacos. 



Growing toward the summits of rather steep banks and bluffs 

 where the sod is somewhat broken up by the washing of rains one is 

 apt to find Astragalus lotiflorus Nutt. This plant is placed by Dr. 

 Rydberg in the old genus Phaca. . But if one will compare a well 

 developed fruiting specimen of Astragalus lotiflorus with a similar 

 specimen of Astragalus missouriensis it will be very hard to believe 

 that the two plants belong to two distinct genera. It seems best to 

 leave them both in Astragalus. Perhaps some of our western Minne- 

 sota plants belong to Sheldon's Astragalus eliocarpus but a comparison 

 of the plants with specimens from Colorado leave the matter in great 

 doubt. 



Astragalus flexuosus Doug, was collected at Montevideo in 1885 

 but the station soon became obliterated. It is quite common near 

 the railway yards at Ortonville. Dr. Rydberg would place this plant 

 in Nuttal's old genus Homalobus. 



Sheldon reports the collection of Astragalus tenellus Pursh in Otter 

 Tail county, and it seems likely that one of the writer's collections 

 at Ortonville was this species. Dr. Britton places this species in 

 Homalobus, as does Dr. Rydberg in his Flora of Colorado. 



