ORDER XLIIl. — LliGUMINOS^. 293 



globose, or ovate-lanceolate, generally villous. — Yellow. U- A\n]\ — 

 May. In dry soils. Common. 2 — 3 feet. 



3. B. tincto'ria, (Br.) Stem glabrous. Leaves ternate, nearly ses- 

 sile; leaflets obovate. Flowers in terminal racemes, few. Legumen 

 small, glabrous, on long stipes. — Yellow. 2^. June — Aug. Common 

 in dry soils. 1 — 2 feet. Wild Indigo 



4. B. austra'lis, (Br.) Stem glabrous, somewhat decumbent. Leaves 

 ternate, nearly sessile ; leaflets cuneiform, obtuse. Stipules often per- 

 sistent, lanceolate. Flowers in long racemes, large, vexillum shorter 

 than the wing. Legumes large, acuminate, oblong. — Blue. If. June 

 — July. In moist soils. 2 — 3 feet. 



5. B. viLLo'sA, (Ell.) Stem villous, pubescent, branched. Leaves 

 ternate, nearly sessile ; leaflets lanceolate-oblong, or slightly cuneate, 

 pubescent when young, afterward nearly or quite glabrous. Flowers in 

 terminal elongated racemes. Pedicels erect. Bracts subulate. Calyx 

 4-cleft, with appressed hairs. Corolla 4-cleft. Legumes oblong, woolly. 

 —Grayish. If. June — July. Middle Geo, 2 — 3 feet. 



6. B. al'ba, (Br.) Stern branching, glabrous. Leaves ternate, on 

 slender petioles; leaflets lanceolate, cuneate, obtuse. Flowers in elon- 

 gated racemes. Pedicels filiform. Cali/x 4-cleft, segments .short, upper 

 one emarginate. Legwnes cylindrical, inflated. Seeds small. — White. 

 If. March — April Common. 1 — 2 feet. 



7. B. bractea'ta, (Mich.) Stem pubescent, branching from the base ; 

 branches divaricate. Leaves ternate on short petioles or sessile ; leaflets 

 lanceolate or oblong-ovate. Stipules large, foliaceous, persistent. Flow- 

 ers large, in declined, many-flowered racemes. Pedicels long, drooping. 

 Bracts like the stipules. Calyx 4-cleft, the upper one broadest and 

 emarginate. Legume inflated, villou.s. — Grayish. If. April — Mav. 

 Middle Geo. 1—2 feet. B. leucophcea, Nutt 



The bapiisins are quite conspicuous anions: the flowering plants of tlie early part of 

 summer. The -ff. t«it'<c/-/« pos.sesses valuable properties. It is decidedly anti.'^eptic, 

 and, on this account, is used in cases approaching mortification, either internally, or 

 applied to the surface in the form of cataplasms, as the case requires. It is an emetic 

 and cathartic in large doses, but in small ones is a mild laxative. The root is the part 

 generally used, but the whole i)lant is said to ptissess similar properties. 



Genus XLIIL— SOPIl'ORA. L. 10—10. 

 (From sophero, an Arabic name of a tree.) 



Cahjx campanulate, obliquely truncate. Vexillum obovate 

 or roundish, equal in length with the otber petals. Ovary 

 nearly sessile, linear; ovules numerous. Legume moniliform, 

 indebiscent. 



1. S. TOMENTo'sA, (L.) A tree. Leaves pinnate ; leaflets 15 — 19, 

 roundish-oval, obtuse, caneseently tomentose on the under side. Flow- 

 ers in racemes, vexillum emarginate. — Yellow. ^2 . Tampa Bay, Flo 



Genus XLIV.— CLADRAS'TRIS. Raf. 16—10. 



Calyx cylindrical, campanulate, 5-tootlied. Petals on rather 

 long claws ; vexillum large, roundish, entire. Stajnens distinct. 



