LOTUS.] LEGUHINOSJE. 103 



Flowers |-| in., very shortly pedicelled. Petals twice as long as the calyx, 

 bright yellow, often streaked with crimson, often greenish or purple-bro^n 

 when dry. Pod f-lj in. DISTRIB. Europe (Arctic), N. Africa, N. and W. 

 Asia, India. 



L. CORNICUIA'TUS proper; almost glabrous, stem short, leaflets membranous 

 obovate obtuse or subacute. VAB. L. crassifo'lii:s, Pers. ; almost glabrous, 

 leaflets fleshy. Chiefly maritime. VAR. lillo'sa ; covered with spreading 

 hairs. Kent, Devon, Saudgate. 



Sub-sp. L. TEN'UIS, Waldst. and Kit. ; stem filiform, leaflets generally linear- 

 lanceolate acuminate, stipules narrower, flowers fewer and smaller. L. 

 tenuifo'lius, Reichb., L. decum'bens, Forst. Damp soils, not common, from 

 Forfar southd. ; veryjrare in Ireland. 



2. Ii. uligino'sus, Schk. ; perennial, erect or ascending, heads 5-12- 

 fld., peduncles very long, calyx-teeth spreading in bud, 2 upper triangular 

 or subulate diverging with an acute sinus. L. ma'jor, Sin., not of 

 Scop. 



Moist meadows, &c., from Isla and Banff southd. ; ascends to 1,200 ft. in 

 Yorkshire; Ireland; Channel Islands; fl. July- Aug. Glabrous or hairy. 

 Rootstock elongate, stoloniferous, branched at intervals. Stems 6-24 in. 

 Leaflets |-1 in., obliquely obovate. Flowers proterandrous, and pcds much 

 as in L. cornicula'tus. DISTRIB. Europe, W. Asia, N. Africa. The L. 

 ma'jor of Scopoli, with lanceolate leaflets and bracts, and which grows in 

 dry places, is probably a var. of L. comicida'tus. 



3. L. his'pidus, Desf. ; annual, procumbent, laxly villous, peduncles 

 longer than the leaves 3-4-fld., pcds J-j by T V in. more than twice as 

 long as the calyx subtorulose. 



Dry banks by the sea, from Hants to Cornwall, rare ; Channel Islands ; fl. 

 July-Aug. Stems slender, 6-36 in. Leaflets |-|in., elliptic or oblanceolate 

 acute ; stipules ^-cordate. Flowers \ in. Calyx-teeth subulate, straight in 

 bud. Standard obovate. Seeds subreniform. DISTRIB. S.W. France, 

 Spain, Portugal, Italy. 



4. L. angustis'simus, L. ; annual, procumbent, laxly villous, ped- 

 uncles shorter than the leaves 1-2-fld., pods f-1 by T V in. four times 

 as long as the calyx, torulose. L. dcflcx'us, Sol. ; L. diffusus, Sm. 



Dry banks by the sea, from Kent to Cornwall, very rare ; Channel Islands; fl. 

 July-Aug. Stems very slender, 6-12 in. Leaflets f-f in., elliptic, otovate 

 or oblanceolate, acute or obtuse ; stipules ovate-lanceolate. Flowers in. 

 Calyx-teeth subulate, straight in bud. Standard elliptic. Seeds globose. 

 DISTRIB. of hispidus, and E. to Hungary and W. Asia. 



11. ASTRAG'ALUS, L. MlLK- VETCH. 



Herbs or shrubs. Leaves pinnate with a terminal leaflet, rarely 3-folio- 

 late ; leaflets entire ; stipules distinct or connate, free or actuate to the 

 petiole. Flowers in axillary racemes or spikes ; bracts small. Calyx 

 tubular ; teeth 5, subequal. Petals usually narrow with long claws ; keel 

 obtuse. Upper filament distinct ; anthers uniform. Ovary sessile cr 



