2QO 



PAPILIONACEAE. 



[Vol.. II. 

 Slender White Prairie-clover. 



Kuhnistera oligophylla (Torr.) Heller. 



(Fig. 2 1 10.) 



Petalostemon gracile\as. oligophyllum Torr. Em- 

 ory's Mil. Rec. 130. 1848. 

 Kuhnislera Candida var. occidentalis Rydberg, 



Contr. Nat. Herb. 3: 154. 1895. 

 Kuhnistera oligophylla Heller, Bull. Torr. Club, 

 23: 122. 1896. 



Glabrous, stem slender, erect or ascending, 

 usually much branched, i-2) tall, the branches 

 straight , ascending. Leaves short-petioled ; leaf- 

 lets about 7 (5-9), linear, linear-oblong or some- 

 what oblanceolate, firm, varying from less than 

 i" wide to 2" wide, mostly less than io // long, 

 or those of the lower leaves larger; spikes ob- 

 long or short-cylindric, blunt, less densely flow- 

 ered than those of the preceding species; bracts 

 lanceolate, acuminate, equalling the calyx, or 

 longer, early deciduous; calyx-teeth usually 

 pubescent; corolla white. 



Prairies, South Dakota to Wyoming, Texas, Ari- 

 zona and Mexico. Root sometimes over i long. 

 June-Sept 



4. Kuhnistera multifldra (Nutt.) Heller. 

 Round-headed Prairie-clover. ( Fig. 2111.) 



Petalostemon multifiorus Nutt. Journ. Phil. A cad. 7: 



92. 1834. 

 Kuhnistera multiflora Heller Mem. Torr. Club, 5: 197. 



1894. 



Glabrous, erect, corymbosely much branched, 

 i-2 high. Leaves short-petioled, often clustered; 

 leaflets 3-9, linear or somewhat oblanceolate, ob- 

 tuse or obtusish at the apex, cuneate or narrowed 

 at the base, short-stalked, 4 // -6 // long, #"-i" 

 wide; peduncles elongated; heads globose, 4 // -6 // 

 in diameter; bracts subulate, shorter than the 

 calyx; calyx-teeth slightly pubescent; corolla 

 white, about 2" long; wings and keel -petals ovate, 

 oval, or slightly cordate. 



Prairies, Kansas to Texas. Summer. 



5. Kuhnistera purpurea (Vent.) MacM. 

 Violet Prairie-clover. (Fig. 2112.) 



Dalea purpurea Vent. Hprt. Cels, pi. 40. 1800. 

 Petalostemon violaceus Michx. Fl. Bor. Am. 2: 50. 1803. 

 Dal fa violacea Willd. Sp. PI. 3: 1337. 1803. 

 Kuhnistera purpurea MacM. Met. Minn. 329. 1892. 



Glabrous or slightly pubescent, erect, i K-3 high, 

 branching above. Leaves short-petioled, more or 

 less clustered; leaflets 3-5, narrowly linear, *,"-<)" 

 long, W-\ tf wide.acutish and often mucronate at the 

 apex, narrowed at the base, very short-stalked; spikes 

 peduncled, oblong or finally cylindric, > / -2 / long, 

 about 5 X/ thick; bracts obovate, mucronate, nearly 

 glabrous, equalling the silky-pubescent calyx or 

 shorter; corolla violet or purple, about 2" long; 

 standard cordate; wings and keel-petals oblong. 



Prairies, Indiana to the North west Territory.Texas and 

 Colorado. Often grows with K. Candida. July-Aug. 



