LEGUMINACEAE (BEAN FAMILY) 141 



ASTRAGALUS (RATTLEWEED) 



Erect to prostrate. Leaves odd-pinnate ; leaflets entire ; tendrils none ; 

 stipules persistent. Flowers small, narrow. Calyx 5-toothed. Petals with 

 slender claws ; keel obtuse. Stamens diadelphous. (The Greek name 

 of some plant of the family.) Too difficult for the beginner. 



ARAGALLUS (Loco WEED) 



Perennial or annual. Leaves odd-pinnate; leaflets entire. Flowers 

 various in color, in spikes or heads ; flower clusters axillary or basal. Calyx 

 5-toothed. Pod partly 2-celled by the intrusion of the ventral (placental) 

 suture. (Meaning undetermined.) Poisonous to cattle. Too difficult 

 for beginners. 



HEDYSARUM 



Leaflets entire; stipules scarious. Flowers white or yellow or purplish, 

 racemes axillary, bracted; bracts scarious or setaceous. Calyx 5-toothed 

 or -parted. Stamens hypogynous, diadelphous. Pod flat ; joints roundish. 

 (Gk. hedys = sweet, aroma = smeU ; apparently from the fragrant 

 flowers of some.) 



A. Flowers cream-colored. E. H. sulphurescens 



AA. Flowers light purple. 



B. Stems and leaves canescent. E. H. cinerascens 



BB. Stems and leaves green, glabrate or nearly so. W. E. H. boreale 



VICIA (VETCH) 



Climbing or trailing or quite weak. Leaves tendril-bearing. Flowers 

 axillary, solitary or in racemes. Calyx tube oblique. Corolla blue or 

 violet or white or yellow. Stamens diadelphous in groups of 9 and i, or 

 monadelphous below. Pod flat. (Gk. bikion and L. vicia = the names 

 of these plants.) Relished by stock. 



A. Flowers in spikes or racemes on axillary peduncles. 



B. Leaflets 20-30, 2.5-5 cm. long; flowers ochroleucous or tawny; perennial. 

 W. C. E. V. gigantia (GIANT VETCH) 



BB. Leaflets either fewer or less than 2.5 cm. long; flowers from white to purple. 

 C. Flowers bluish white, 4 mm. or less long; peduncles 2-6-flowered; annual; 

 leaflets 12-14; pod hairy. W. V. hirsuta (HAIRY VETCH) 



CC. Flowers deep blue, 5-18 mm. long; perennial. 

 D. Leaflets 18-24; peduncles densely is-4O-flowered; pod glabrous. W. 



V. cracca (TUFTED VETCH) 



DD. Leaflets 8-16; peduncles loosely 5-i6-flowered. 

 E. Plant glabrous or not villous if hairy, 3-12 dm. high; pod glabrous; leaflets 



12-25 mm. long. 

 F. Leaves ovate-lanceolate to broadly oval. W. C. E. 



V. americana (COMMON VETCH) 

 FF. Leaves narrowly linear to oblong. W. C. E. 



V. linearis (NARROW-LEAVED VETCH) 



