WILD FLOWERS OF NEW YORK 149 



THE BOSH CLOVERS 



Lespedeza 



Herbs, often with perennial roots and erect or ascending stems. In 

 a few species the stems trailing. leaves Umr-foliolate. Flowers small. 

 purple or whitish, in axillary clusters, heads or panicles. Frequently 

 the flowers are of two kinds intermixed, one petaliferous but sterile, tin- 

 other minute, apetalous and fertile. Calyx lobes nearly equal, those of 

 the petaliferous flowers usually longer than those of the apetalous flowers. 

 Upper petal (standard) obovate or oblong, the lower petals forming an 

 incurved keel. Stamens usually diadelphous (nine and one) ; anthers all 

 alike. Ovary one-ovuled. ripening into a flat, indehiscent, reticulated, 

 mostly one-jointed and one -seeded i>od. 



Key to the New York Species of Lespedeza 



Corolla purple or purplish; plants bearing both petaliferous and apetalous flowers 

 Su-ms prostrate or trailing 



Foliage glabrous <>r s< >mewhat appraned-pubenent I. repens 



Foliage downy-pobewent or tomentosc L. procumbens 



Stems erect or ascending 



Peduncles distinct and mostly longer than the leaves 



Bushy-branched; pctalifcrous flowers paniculate .L. violacea 



Stems simple or little branched ; flowers racemose or subspicate 



Stems tomentose; leaves tomentose beneath L b r i 1 1 o n i i 



Stems and leaves glabrate or appresscd-pubcscent ; leaflets oval to 

 sulxirbicular .. L. nut tall ii 



Peduncles shorter than the leaves or the flower clusters sessile 



Leaflets densely tomentose beneath; calyx of the petaliferous flowers lev 

 than one-half as long as the pod I- s t u v e i 



Leaflets appressed pubescent beneath or glabrate 



Calyx of petaliferous flowers less than one-half as long as the pod; 



leaflets oval to oblong. I- frutescens 



Calyx of the petaliferous flowers two-thirds as long as the pod or more; 



leaflets silvery-pubescent beneath L. simulate 



