44 Select Plants for Industrial Culture 



Astragalus adscendens, Boissier and Haussknecht. 



Persia, in alpine elevations of 9,000 to 10,000 feet. A shrub r 

 attaining a height of 4 feet. Yields gum-tragacanth in abundance 

 (Haussknecht). Many species of this genus, numerous in various 

 parts of Europe and Asia, in California and in some other parts of 

 the globe, deserve attention for pasture and other agronomic purposes. 



Astragalus arenarius, Linne". 



Europe and Western Asia. A perennial fodder-herb for any sandy 

 desert-country. 



Astragalus brachycalyx, Fischer. 



'Kurdistan. A low shrub, affording gum-tragacanth (Flueckiger). 

 Astragalus Cephalonicus, Fischer. (A. aristatus, Sibthorp.) 



Cephalonia. A small shrub, yielding a good tragacanth ; and so 

 probably also does the true A. aristatus of 1'Heritier. 



Astragalus Cicer, Linne". 



Middle and Southern Europe and Middle Asia. A nutritious and 

 well flavored perennial herb, much sought by grazing animals. It 

 requires, according to Langethal, deep friable grounds and, like most 

 leguminous herbs, calcareous ingredients in the soil. 



Astragalus Creticus, Lamarck. 



Candia and Greece. A small bush, exuding the ordinary vermic- 

 ular tragacanth ; the pale is preferable to the brown sort. 



Astragalus glycyphyllos, Linne". 



Europe and Northern Asia. Succeeds on light soil, also in forest- 

 regions. It has been recommended as a perennial, substantial fodder- 

 plant. 



Astragalus gummifer, La Billardiere. 



Syria and Persia. This shrub also yields a good kind of traga- 

 canth. 



Astragalus hypoglottis, Linne". (A. Danicus, Retzius.) 



Colder regions of Europe, Asia and North- Am erica. This peren- 

 nial plant is regarded as a good fodder-herb on calcareous and 

 gravelly soil, and would likely be of importance in any alpine region. Of 

 the enormous number of supposed species of this genus (according to 

 Boissier, not less than 750 merely in Asia Minor and the adjoining 

 countries) many must be of value for pasture, like some of the closely- 

 allied Australian Swainsonas, though they also may include delete- 

 rious species; thus A. Hornii and A. lentiginosus (Gray) of California, 

 and A. mollissimus (Nuttall) of Texas, are known as loco-weeds, and 

 are poisonous to cattle and horses, just as Swainsona lessertifolia 

 (Candolle) and S. Greyana (Lindley) have shown themselves highly 

 injurious to pastoral animals in Australia ; the active principle of 

 these plants may however become of importance in medicine. 



