VOL. II.] 



PEA FAMILY. 



22. Meibomia obtusa (Muhl.) Vail. Hairy 

 Small-leaved Tick-trefoil. (Fig. 2191.) 



Hedysarum obtusum Muhl.; Willd. Sp. PI. 3: 1190. 1803. 

 Hedysarum ciliare Muhl.; Willd. Sp. PI. 3: 1196. 1803. 

 Desmodium ciliare DC. Prodr. 2: 329. 1825. 

 Meibomia obtusa Vail, Bull. Torr. Club, 19: 115. 1892. 



Erect, bushy, 2-3 high, pubescent. Stipules subu- 

 late, deciduous; leaves crowded; petioles ciliate, shorter 

 than the leaflets; leaflets broadly ovate or oval, obtuse, 

 somewhat coriaceous, more or less pubescent on both 

 sides, ciliate, 6 // -i2 // long; racemes terminal, compound 

 or simple, uncinate-pubescent; upper lobe of the calyx 

 entire or minutely 2- toothed, the lower ones acute; 

 flowers i // -2 // long; loment 2-3-jointed, the joints 

 obliquely oval; stipe not exceeding the calyx-lobes. 



Dry soil, Ontario to Massachusetts and Florida, west to 

 Michigan and Texas. July-Oct. 



35. LESPEDEZA Michx. Fl. Bor. Am. 2: 70. 1803. 



Herbs, often somewhat woody, with pinnately 3-foliolate leaves, small stipules, and 

 small purple or whitish flowers in axillary clusters, heads or panicles. Flowers often of 2 

 kinds intermixed, the one petaliferous and mainly sterile, the other minute, apetalous, 

 abundantly fertile. Calyx-lobes nearly equal. Standard in the petaliferous flowers obovate 

 or oblong, clawed; wings oblong; keel incurved. Stamens more or less diadelphous (9 and 

 i); anthers all alike. Ovary sessile or stipitate, i-ovuled. Pod ovate, oblong, oval or sub- 

 orbicular, flat, indehiscent, reticulated, composed of a single joint, or rarely with a second 

 stalk-like joint at the base. [Named for Lespedez, governor of Florida, patron of Michaux.] 



A genus of about 35 species, natives of eastern North America, Asia and Australia. 

 Perennials; stipules and bracts subulate; calyx-lobes narrow. 



X- Both petaliferous and apetalous flowers present; corolla purple or purplish ; pod exserted. 

 Peduncles slender and mostly exceeding the leaves. 

 Petaliferous flowers capitate or spicate. 



Plants trailing or diffusely procumbent. 

 Glabrous or appressed-pubescent. 

 Woolly or downy-pubescent. 

 Plants erect, rather stout, pubescent. 



Petaliferous flowers loosely paniculate; stem erect or ascending. 

 Flower-clusters of both kinds sessile or nearly so. 

 Leaflets oval, oblong or orbicular. 



Foliage densely downy-pubescent. 

 Foliage glabrate or appressed-pubescent. 

 Leaflets linear or linear-oblong. 



X- -X- Flowers all complete; corolla whitish or yellowish; pod included or scarcely exserted. 

 Leaves oblong, ovate-oblong, or nearly orbicular. 



Peduncles exceeding the leaves. 8. L, hirta. 



Peduncles shorter than the leaves. g. /,. capitata. 



Leaves linear or linear-oblong; peduncles elongated. 



1. L. repcns. 



2. L. procumbens. 



3. L. Nuttallii. 



4. L. violacea. 



L. Stuvei. 

 L. frutescens. 

 L. Virginica. 



Spikes densely-flowered. 

 Spikes interrupted, loosely-flowered. 

 Annual; stipules ovate; calyx-lobes broad. 



10. L. angustifolia. 

 n. L. leptpstachya. 

 12. L. striata. 



i. Lespedeza repens (L.) Bart. 

 Creeping Bush-clover. (Fig. 2 1 92. ) 



Hedysarum repens L. Sp. PI. 749. 1753- 

 L. repens Bart. Prodr. Fl. Phil. 2: 77. 1818. 



Trailing or diffusely procumbent, gla- 

 brate or appressed-pubescent, tufted, stems 

 slender, simple or somewhat branched, 

 6 / -24 / long. Petioles shorter than the 

 leaves; stipules subulate, about i" long; 

 leaflets oval or obovate, obtuse or retuse 

 at the apex, narrowed or rounded at the 

 base, 3 // -8 // long; peduncles of the petal- 

 iferous flower-clusters slender, much ex- 

 ceeding the leaves; inflorescence rather 

 loose; corolla violet-purple, 2 // -3 // long- 

 pod oval-orbicular, acute, finely pubes- 

 cent, i%' f long. 



In dry or sandy soil, Long Island to Flor- 

 ida, Minnesota and Texas. Aug.-Sept. 



