PUBESCENCE. 



The pubescence of Astragalus is almost always present as straight, 

 short and appressed hairs, round in cross section, and tapering to 

 tip. That on the calyx is normally longer and looser than on the 

 leaves. The banner is rarely a little hairy at tip. 



Astragalus inflexus, Utahensis, funereus and coccineus and forms 

 of Purshii have very delicate kinked hairs variously matted. The 

 Mollissimi usually have matted hairs on the pods, but those on the 

 leaves though very dense are rarely matted. 



Among the Argophylli the pubescence is mostly dense and straight. 

 In A. amphioxys the hairs are flat, echinate, tapering toward both 

 ends and fixed at or near the middle. This is also true of A\. calyco- 

 sus, the Uliginosi, nitidus. Very rarely do the hairs have a pustu- 

 late base. 



In A. lentiginosus the pubescence is very variable. One variety 

 has flat and very short broad hairs closely appressed and fixed by the 

 base. Other varieties have the pubescence almost woolly as in Fre- 

 mont!, nigricalycis, etc. A. macrodon has much the same pubescence. 

 The same is true in the hot climate Inflati along the Coast of 

 California, some species have woolly pubescence, others silvery but 

 not woolly. 



No species have lepidote or stellate hairs. There is a complete 

 transition in the hairs from normal to pick-shaped. About the only 

 valuable character distinguishing A. Shortianus from A. amphioxys 

 is the pubescence which in the former is of slender hairs fixed by the 

 base, and in the other flat hairs fixed by the middle and wide and echi- 

 nate, but this varies in the species from a flat hair with a mere knob on 

 one side at the base to one fixed by the middle. 



There is very little special development of hair as root pro- 

 tection except in A. triphyllus, sericoleucus, simplicifolius, Gilensis, 

 and in these there is more development of stipules. 



