ASTRAGALUS. 



Tourn. in L. Gen. 215 (1837). Sp. PL 755. (1753). Cystium 

 Stev., Hamosa Medic, Homalobus Nutt., Hypoglottis Fourr., 

 Onix Spiesia and Aragallus Necker never had any species 

 described with them till the recognized genera were published 

 with species. Astragalus was first published by Tournefort 

 without species, then by Limueus in his Genera, Phaca pre- 

 ceeding it and having its first publication in the Genera as an 

 equivalent of Astragaloides Tournefort. Linnffius recognizing 

 Tournefort as the author of Astragalus. The same order of 

 genera Avas retained in the Species Plantarum, Linnffius re- 

 garding both genera as having been previously published. The 

 botanical world is therefore justified in retaining Astragalus 

 on the merging of Phaca with it. 



Calyx 5-toothcd. Petals with claws, 5, tlie upper the ban- 

 ner and broader than the rest and mostly arcuate and with re- 

 flexed sides, the center occupied by a deep groove or sulcus 

 running lengthwise, at or near the center when the banner 

 is colored is a variable white spot, the tip mostly notched. On 

 each side, a little below the banner, are the two wings which 

 are narrowly eared below and more or less adhering to the keel 

 and variably oblique, entire or only notched, mostly longer 

 than the keel and shorter than the bainier. The keel is formed 

 by the two lower petals adhering by their lower edges to the tip 

 like the keel of a boat in general appearance and very oblique, 

 and inclosing the stamens and pistil. Stamen 10, diadelphous, 

 9 and 1. Pistil simple and mostly 1-celled. Stigma terminal, 

 minute. Fruit a pod seed-bearing along the upper suture. 

 Seeds on slender stalks, reniform. Texture of pods from 

 fleshy to papery, the cavity generally larger than the seeds. 

 Herbs or rarely a little shrubby below. Leaves with odd-pinate 

 leaflets (reduced to the simple leaf-like rachis in A. simpli- 

 cifolius, and to a single, large, leathery, jointed leaflet in A. 

 Asclepiadoides). Distinguished from Oxytropis by the kee\ 

 tip not being abruptly turned out in a sharp beak or when this 

 is true then the wings are not greatly lobed as in Oxytropis. 

 Distinguished from Crotalaria by the diadelphous stamens 

 and flowers never truly yellow. 



