LEGUMINOS^) 123 



Distribution. Western Alps, Pyrenees, Ardennes, Central and 

 Southern Europe, rare in Switzerland ; Western Asia. 



Astragalus hypoglottis L. 



A small, hairy, diffuse plant. Leaflets oblong, 8-12 pairs. 

 Flowers violet, erect, 10-20 in a dense, sub-globular head. Pedun- 

 cles longer than the leaves. Calyx hairy, tubular, with short, linear 

 teeth. Standard oval, emarginate. Pods 10 mm. by 4, erect, oval, 

 heart-shaped at base, with long, white hairs, divided longitudinally 

 into 2 cells. 



Dry Alpine pastures. June to August. 



Distribution. Central and Western Alps (not in Switzerland), 

 Northern Europe, and Russian Asia. British. 



Likes a well-drained soil, plenty of lime, and a sunny aspect. 



Astragalus purpureus Lamk. 



Stem spreading, prostrate or ascending, hairy like the whole 

 plant. Leaflets ovate-lanceolate, in 10 12 pairs. Petals bright 

 purple. Calyx hairy, tubular, with irregular linear teeth, standard 

 oblong, emarginate. Pods 10 or 12 mm. by 5 mm., erect, oval, 

 heart-shaped at base, hairy. 



Limestone hills, 3500-6500 feet. May to July. 



Distribution. Southern and Western Alps, Piedmont, Tyrol, 

 Montenegro. 



Astragalus Onobrychis L. 



Very similar to the last, but with 6-12 pairs of leaflets, and 

 covered with whitish hairs. Calyx-teeth lanceolate, about J length 

 of the tube. Standard linear-oblong, truncate. Pod 10 or 12 mm. by 

 5 mm., erect, oval, hairy. A handsome plant, well worth cultivating. 



Mountains in hot districts up to 5000 feet. June to August. 



Distribution. Western Alps, Southern Europe and Western Asia. 



Likes sun and prefers limestone, under which conditions it 

 spreads rapidly, and throws up plenty of long-stalked crimson- 

 purple spikes. 



Astragalus monspessulanus L. 



Almost glabrous, green. Stems o, the flower and leaf -stalks 

 springing from the roots ; 10-20 pairs of elliptic leaflets, stipules 

 linear-lanceolate. Flowers purple, in oval heads elongated at 

 maturity. Peduncles equalling the leaves. Calyx glabrescent, 

 tubular, with teeth about half length of tube. Pods very long, 

 25-35 mm. by 3 mm., sub-cylindrical, curved, almost glabrous. 



Limestone hills in hot places. April to June. 



This species has a wide range, both in altitude and longitude, and 

 it is really a southern plant, as its name implies. We have seen it 

 at Beaulieu, on the Mediterranean, at Pigna, in the Ligurian Alps 

 (1200 feet), and as high as 6300 feet on the plateau of Mt. Cenis. 



