292 



PAPILIONACEAE. 



[Vox,. II. 



18. INDIGOFERA L. Sp. PI. 751. 1753. 



Herbs, or rarely shrubs, often canescent with hairs affixed by the middle, with odd-pin- 

 nate leaves, small stipules, and pink or purple spicate or racemose flowers. Calyx-teeth ob- 

 lique, nearly equal, or the lower longer. Standard ovate or orbicular, sessile or clawed; 

 wings oblong; keel erect, somewhat gibbous, or spurred. Stamens mainly monadelphous; 

 anthers all alike. Ovary sessile or nearly so, i-oo-ovuled; style slender. Pod linear, 4- 

 angled (in our species), septate between the seeds. [Name from the yield of indigo by 

 some species.] 



About 250 species, natives of warm and temperate regions. In addition to the following, some 

 5 others occur in the southern and southwestern United States. 



i. Indigofera leptosepala Nutt. Wild or Western 

 Indigo-plant. (Fig. 2116.) 



Indigo/era leptosepala Nutt.; T. & G. Fl. N. A. i: 298. 1838. 



Perennial, decumbent, cinereous-pubescent, slender, branch- 

 ing, 6' -24' long. Leaves short-petioled; leaflets 5-9, oblanceo- 

 late or oblong-linear, 3 // -i2 // long, \"-$" wide, obtuse and 

 often mucronulate at the apex, narrowed or cuneate at the base, 

 short-stalked; spikes peduncled, loosely few-flowered; flowers 

 pink or purplish, about 3" long; calyx-teeth subulate, equal; 

 pods linear, acute, obtusely 4-angled, sessile in the calyx, 8"- 

 12" long, i" thick, reflexed at maturity. 



Prairies, Kansas to Texas and Mexico, east to Florida. 

 Nov. 



May- 



19. CRACCA L. Sp. PI. 752. 1753. 



[TEPHROSIA Pers. Syn. a: 328. 1807.] 



Herbs, sometimes slightly shrubby, with odd-pinnate not punctate leaves, and purple red 

 or white flowers in terminal or lateral racemes or short clusters. Stipules small. Leaflets 

 entire. Calyx-teeth usually nearly equal. Petals all clawed. Standard orbicular or broadly 

 ovate; wings obliquely obovate or oblong; keel curved. Stamens monadelphous or diadel- 

 phous; anthers all alike. Ovary sessile; ovules several or many. Pod linear, flat, 2-valved, 

 several- seeded, continuous, or with membranous septa between the seeds. [Latin, vetch.] 



About 1 20 species, mainly natives of warm and tropical regions. Besides the following, eleven 

 species occur in the southern and southwestern United States. 



Raceme terminal, dense, nearly sessile, many-flowered. i. C. Virginiana. 

 Peduncles lateral and terminal, elongated, few-flowered. 



Villous; flowers in an interrupted spike or raceme. 2. C. spicata. 



Pubescent; peduncles few-flowered near the summit. 3. C. hispidula. 



i. Cracca Virginiana I,. Cat-gut. 

 Goat's Rue. (Fig. 2117.) 



Cracca Virginiana L. Sp. PI. 752. 1753. 

 Galega Virginiana I* Sp. PI. Ed. 2, 1062. 1763. 

 Tephrosia Virginiana Pers. Syn. a: 329. 1807. 



Erect or ascending, more or less villous or 

 silky-pubescent with whitish hairs, i-2 high. 

 Roots long, fibrous, tough; leaves short-petioled; 

 leaflets 7-25, oblong, linear-oblong or the ter- 

 minal one oblanceolate, narrowed or cuneate at 

 the base, rounded, mucronate or emarginate at 

 the apex, 9 // -i2 // long, 2 // -4 // wide; flowers 

 yellowish-purple, 6 // -9 // long, crowded in a 

 terminal often compound nearly sessile raceme; 

 pedicels 2 // -4 // long; pod linear, densely pubes- 

 cent, i / -2 / long. 



In dry sandy soil, southern New England, shore 

 of Lake Erie, to Minnesota, south to Florida, Louisi- 

 ana and northern Mexico. Called also Hoary 

 Pea, Wild Sweet Pea. June-July. 



