70 



Gray, Homalobus Brltton. Pods 1-2 cm. long, 3-4 mm. high, normally 

 V ery flat but often nearly round in cross-section in the middle, ab- 

 ruptly contracted at both ends, stipitate and with stipe often twice 

 the tube, mostly speckled, smooth and shining, from nearly oval to 

 narrowly oblong, with sutures equally arched or the dorsal concave 

 and with pod seemingly recurved a little but with tip in line with the 

 dorsal suture. Seeds rarely more than one maturing. Flowers nor- 

 mally white, rarely purplish, 5-8 mm. long, ascending. Banner oval 

 to oblong-ovate, abruptly arched at end of calyx tube to 45 

 to 90 degi-ees. with sides reflexed 1 mm. wide below but not at all 

 at tip which is barely notched; groove very shallow at base and 

 forming a half circle but reduced above to a broad arc about 2 mm. 

 wide and then narrowed to tip, pink-purple-veined, inclined to be 

 faintly colored from 3 mm. below tip; white spot obovate and sparse- 

 ly veined, with blade swelled a little near base. Wings obliquely 

 lanceolate-oblong and about half of an ellipse, entire, from flat to 

 concave to keel to within 1 mm. of tip and then concave beyond, 

 the left hand one flaring and the other straight, 1-2 mm. longer than 

 keel, I mm. wide, white. Keel rounded to over 90 degrees and pur- 

 ple tipped, the tip inclined to be truncate, about straight, surpassing 

 calyx by 2 mm. Calyx Hedeoma-like and a little obcompressed at 

 T.ip, 1 mm. wide, nearly 2 mm. long, lower teeth longer, setaceous, 

 with rounded sinuses fully and not longer than the tube. Pedicels 

 about 1-2 mm. long, slender Bracts normally double the pedicels 

 but sometimes short. Proper peduncles very short, inclined to be in 

 pairs in all but the lowest axils, one almost none and the other 

 1-2 cm, long, the floral rachis short to 1 dm. long and scatteringly 

 flowered Leaves 3-8 cm. long, nearly always closely sessile except 

 below. Leaflets 6-19 pairs, flat, rarely 2.5 cm. long, thin, 3-5 mm. 

 wide, narrowly elliptical, some nearly linear, mostly nearly con- 

 tiguous. Stems a foot or two long, densely tufted and densely branch 

 ed, not filiform, weakly ascending, with internodes rarely 7 cm. ling 

 and densely leafy. Smooth plants inclined to dry black. Rather 

 common in shady places and woods from the Saskatchewan and the 

 Mackenzie rivers to Minnesota and Nebraska and southward to 

 Now Mexico, westward throughout Colorado and Utah to Central 

 Novada East Humboldt Mts. Nevada and northward. Also on river 

 bottoms in Nebraska. Middle Temperate life zone. Some forms ap- 

 proach A. Bourgovii. 



3. Astragalus Coltoni Jones Cont. 2 237 (1891). Pods in the 

 type linear to narrowly obianceolate, triangular at tip, 3-4 mm. high 

 and 3-4 cm. long. Stipe 2-3 times the calyx. Flowers about 1-1.5 

 en. long, ascending. Banner about a half longer than keel, about 

 8 turn, long, oval, arched abruptly beyond calyx to 45 degrees, with 

 sides reflexed somewhat. Wings about 1 mm. wide, nearly straight, 

 about 2 mm longer than keel and much narrower, light-colored. Keel 

 about 5 mm. long, straight or nearly so, the tip abruptly erect or a 

 little more and acute or turned out a trifle and triangular, purple, 

 fltaout 3 mm. high. Calyx tube about 5 mm. long and 3 mm. high. 

 a little oblique at tip, a trifle narrower below and truncate and 

 attached on lower corner to a black-haiiy and stout reflexed pedicel 

 nbo>it 1 mm. long which is about equaled by the minute bract, ni- 

 grescent. Teeth in the type minute, triangular. Peduncles very stout 

 for the plant and strict and deeply sulcate, about as thick as the 

 stems, often a foot long. Leaves about 1 dm. long, with tapering 

 and rigid and green rachis. Leaflets very distant about 3 (3-5) pairs, 

 linear, obtuse, 1-2 cm. long, sometimes absent altogether, the ter- 

 minal one simply the enlarged tip of rachis and not .iointed to it, 

 aphy v.-hpn young. Lower stipules connate and scarious, the up- 

 per triangular, small, green, variously connate or free.. Proper 



