Pulse Family 225 



than the leaves, 4-8-flowered ; flowers purplish or bluish, about 

 18 mm. long; calyx-tube 4 mm. long; the lower teeth about 2 

 mm. long, the upper shorter, approximate, incurved. 

 Our forms all seem to belong to the two varieties. 



V. AMERICANA TRUNCATA (Nutt.) Brew. Leaflets oblong-elliptic 

 or the lower broadly linear, 15-30 cm. long, truncate or broadly 

 retuse at summit, otherwise like the type. 



Occasional on shaded slopes in the chaparral belt. 



V. AMERICANA LINEARIS (Nutt.) Wats. Leaflets narrowly linear, 

 acute, strongly veined beneath, 12-25 cm. long. 



Frequent in the chaparral belt, usually in more open places than the last. 



2. V. Californica Greene. Erect or decumbent, rather strict 

 and seldom climbing, 1.5-4 dm. high, villous-pubescent ; tendrils 

 short, stiffish, seldom branched ; leaflets 8-12, subcoriaceous, deli- 

 cately feather- veined, cuneate-obovate, truncate or retuse, 10-15 

 mm. long, more or less dentate toward the mucronulate apex; 

 racemes exceeding the leaves, 3-5-fl owered ; calyx-teeth all broad 

 and short; corolla 12-18 mm. long, deep purple. 



Summit of Mount Santiago, Orange County, and in the pine belt of the 

 Cuyamaca Mountains. 



** Annuals. 



3. V. sativa L. Stoutish, erect or nearly so, 6-9 dm. high, 

 somewhat pubescent ; leaflets 8-12, obovate-oblong, truncate or 

 retuse, mucronate; flowers 1 or 2, subsessile, 15 mm. long, red- 

 purple. 



Rarely seen as an escape. Native of Europe. 



4. V. exigua Nutt. Slender, 3-6 dm. high, slightly pubescent ; 

 leaflets 4-6, oblong-linear, obtuse; peduncles filiform, shorter 

 than the leaves, 1-2-flowered ; calyx-teeth lanceolate from a broad 

 base; corolla white or purplish, 4-6 mm. long; pod glabrous, 

 4-5-seeded. 



Occasional on grassy hills, mostly in sandy soil. 



5. V. Hassei Wats. Taller and less delicate than the last; 

 leaves longer and more numerous, deeply notched at apex ; flowers 

 6 mm. long; pod shortly stipitate, 5-8-seeded. 



Same range as the last and probably only a robust form of it. 



