128 PULSE FAMILY. 



A. herbacea, Walt. In piiu' banens, N. C. to Fla. and W., is pubes- 

 cent or glabrous, with lu-oo rigid, oblong, dotted leaflets, and spicate, 

 solitary, or panicled racemes of blue or white flowers ; shrub 2"-4°, with 

 purple branches. 



* * Pods 2 seeded; leaflets larger, scattered. 



A. frutic63a, Linn. False Indigo. A tall or middle-sized shrub, 

 smoothish ; leaves petioUd, of 15-:2.5 oval or oblong leaflets ; flowers vio- 

 let or purple in early suunner. Kiver banks, Penn. IS. and W. ; also 

 cult. 



18. PSORALEA. (Greek : sriirfi/, from the roughish dots or glands.) 

 Flowers early summer, violet, bluish, or almost white. 21 



* Leaves pinnately 3-foliolate, or the itpjtermost of a sinc/le leaflet. 



P. Ondbrychis, Nutt. 3°-5° high, erect, nearly smooth; leaflets 

 lance-ovate, taper-pointed ; stipules and bracts awl-shaped ; flowers in 

 short peduncled racemes 3'-6' long; pods rough and wrinkled. Kiver 

 banks. O. to 111., S. and E. 



P. melilotoides, Michx. Dry places, W. and S. '[°-2° high, erect, 

 somewhat pubescent, slender ; leaflets lanceolate or lance-oblong ; stip- 

 ules awl-shaped ; flowers in oblong spikes, long-peduncled ; pods strongly 

 wrinkled. 



* * Leaves palmatelij o-5-foliolate ; root not tuberous. 



P. temiifldra, Pursh. Bushy-branched, slender, 2°-4° high, somewhat 

 hoary when young ; leaflets linear or obovate-oblong, much dotted ; fl<i\vers 

 (2"-o" long) in loose racemes ; pods glandular-roughened. Prairies, 111., ^Y. 



P. argophylla, Pursh. Widely branched, l°-3° high, silvery white all 

 over with silky hairs ; leaflets elliptic-lanceolate ; spikes interrupted. 

 Prairies, Wis., W. 



* * * Leaves palmately 5-foUolate ; root tuberous. 



P. esculenta, Pursh. Pomme Blanche. Low and .stout, 5'-15' high, 

 rougliish hairy ; root turnip-shaped, mealy, edible ; leaflets 5, lance-oblong 

 or olidvatc ; spike dense, oblong ; flowers i' long; pod hairy, ijointed. 



19. TEPHROSIA, IIOAIIY PEA. (vGreek : Jtnarn.) Native plants 

 of dry, sandy, or barren soil, chiefly S. ; flowers summer. 



* Stems erecf, simple, very leafy up to the terminal, oblong, dense, raceme or 



pa nicle. 



T. Virgini^na, Pers. Goat's Rie, Catgut, from the very tough, 

 long and slender roots. White, silky-downy ; stem erect, simple, l°-2° 

 high ; leaflets 17-29 linear-oblong ; flowers large and numerous, yellowish- 

 white with purple ; pods downy. Common N. and S. 



* * Stems hrnnrhing, (fien spreading or decumbent; leaves scattered; 

 ruremrs oppnsitr the leaves, long-pediincled ; floicers feioer arid smaller; 

 pnhesci'nce mostly yellowish or rusty. 



T. spicata, Torr. & Gray. l°-2° high, loosely soft-hairy ; leaflets 

 0-15, wedge-oblong or obovate ; flowers (5-10, rather large, scattered, 

 white and purple, in a raceme or .spike. Del. S. 



T. hispfdula, Pers. Low, closely pubescent or smoothish ; leaflets 

 11-1.'), oblong, small, the lowest pair above the ba.se of the petiole ; 

 flowers 2— t, small, reddisli-purple. Va. S. 



T. chrysophylla, Pursh. Nearly prostrate ; leaflets 5-7, wedge-obo- 

 vate, smooth above and yellowi.sh silky beneath, the lowest pair close to 

 the stem ; flowers as in the last. Ga. S. and W. 



