Astragalus.} XXV. PAPILIONACE^. 117 



XI. ASTRAGALUS. ASTRAGAL. 



Herbs, with pinnate leaves, and pink, purple, bluish, pale yellow, or 

 white flowers, in axillary racemes or spikes, without leafy bracts. 

 Stipules entire at the base (not sagittate). Calyx with 5 teeth. Petals 

 usually narrow. Keel obtuse. Stamens diadelphous, the upper one 

 entirely free. Pod cylindrical or inflated, usually more or less divided 

 lengthwise by a complete or partial partition proceeding from the side 

 next the keel. Seeds several. 



A very numerous genus, distributed all over Europe, central and 

 northern Asia, North America, and down the Andes of South America ; 

 penetrating far into the Arctic regions, ascending to high alpine 

 summits, and abundant in the hot rocky districts of the Mediterranean 

 region. 



Stems 2 or 3 feet long, with large leaflets, and dingy yellow flowers 3. A. glycyphyllot. 

 Low plants, with small leaflets, and bluish-purple flowers. 

 Flowers 8 or 9 lines long. Pods erect, not twice the length of 



the calyx 1. A. danicus 



Flowers not 6 lines long. Pods pendulous, 3 or 4 times the 



length of the calyx . 2. A. alpinus 



1. A. danicus, Retz. (fig. 269). Purple A. A low, slightly hairy 

 perennial, the stem prostrate, branching at the base, 2 to 5 or 6 

 inches long. Stipules free from the leafstalk, but more or less united 

 together on the opposite side of the stem. Leaflets usually in 10 to 12 

 pairs, with an odd one, 2 or 3 lines long. Flowers of a bluish purple, 

 in short spikes, on long axillary peduncles. Calyx sessile, erect, about 

 3 lines long, more or less downy with short black hairs. Standard near 

 3 times as long as the calyx. Pod shortly stalked within the calyx, 

 ovoid, erect, hairy, seldom 6 lines long, and completely divided by a 

 longitudinal partition into 2 cells, usually with only 1 seed in each cell. 

 Hypoylottis, DC. (not Linn.). 



On dry hilly pastures, in central and northern Europe, Russian Asia, 

 and northern America, but not an Arctic plant. In Britain, chiefly in 

 eastern, central, and northern England, and southern Scotland ; in 

 Ireland, only indicated in the south isles of Aran on the west coast. 

 Fl. summer. 



2. A. alpinus, Linn. (fig. 270). Alpine A. A small, prostrate, 

 slightly hairy perennial, the stems branching at the base, a few inches 

 or rarely nearly a foot long. Stipules slightly connected with the leaf- 

 stalk, but quite free from each other. Leaflets 8 to 12 pairs, with an 

 odd one, ovate or oblong. Flowers drooping, of a bluish purple, or 

 white tipped with purple, in short close racemes, on rather long 

 peduncles ; the calyx little more than 1 line ; the corolla about 5 lines 

 long, with petals broader in proportion than in A. danicus. Pod pen- 

 dulous, about 6 lines long, on a stalk about the length of the calyx, 

 covered with short black hairs, and partially divided inside by a narrow 

 projection from the side next the keel. Seeds 3 to 6. 



An alpine plant, common in the great mountain-ranges of central and 

 northern Europe and Russian and central Asia, and extending far into 

 the Arctic regions. In Britain, only in the mountains of Perthshire, 

 Clova, and Braemar in Scotland. FL. summer. 



3. A. glycyphyllos, Linn. (fig. 271). Milkvetch. A glabrous peren- 

 nial, of a light green colour; the zigzag stems spreading along the 



