74 



green rachis scarcely tapering. Leaflets 2-5 pairs, remote, narrowly 

 linear, acutish to obtuse, conspicuously reduced above, the terminal 

 one phyllodia-like but mostly short-jointed to rachis, and mostly larger 

 or longer than the upper ones. 1-2 cm. long. Stems decumbent to 

 weakly ascending, very slender and lax, 2-3 ft. long, the slender inter- 

 nodes longer than the leaves, several from a fleshy erect root. Whole 

 habit of A. junceus and evidently repleces it in the Sierras. Susan- 

 with Pinus ponderosa, Quercus, Agropyron and Lotus in black and rich 

 soil. Middle Temperate life zone, blooming in June. It has the 

 plant green, and pubescence very sparse and scarcely visible, except 

 on the calyx where it is minute and soft. Stipules green, rigid, subu- 

 late, reflexed, about 4 mm. long above, barely connate below and very 

 short. Growing on gravelly lava southern slopes among boulders along 

 ville California and vicinity. 



9. Astragalus campestris (Nutt.) Gray Proc. Am. Acad. 6 229 

 (1864). Homalobus campestris Nutt. in T. & G. Fl. 1 351 (183s;. 

 Homalobus tenuifolius Nutt. Not A. tenuifolius Desf. This is the 

 common form in high mountains on rocky ridges, alpine and subalpine, 

 with stems mostly flat on the ground from rather woody roots, short 

 leaves and elongated peduncles and rather capitate flowers. Leaflets 

 linear and very acute, the terminal one not elongated much, small, in- 

 clined to be ashy-pubescent. From the mountains of New Mexico and 

 probably the San Francisco peaks of Arizona northward to the 

 tiritlsh line and westward in all the mountains of Utah and probably 

 southern Idaho. Apparently not found in Neveda and the Sierras 

 hvt to be exnected. This form rarely has pods a trifle sulcate dor- 

 sally. For the general character of the species see the var de- 

 c iMiDena All the varieties freely intergrade according to the shade 

 and moisture in which they grow. 



Astragalus campestris var. decumbens (Nutt.) Jones. Homalo- 

 bus decumbens Nutt. in T. & G. Fl. 1 352 (1838). A. decumbens 

 (Nutt.) Gray A. convallarius Greene, Phaca decumbens (Nutt.) Piper. 

 Homalobus Salldse Rydberg. Pods about straight, about 2-3 cm. 

 long, linear to oblanceolate, reflexed. Flowers 5-10 Banner obovate 

 to oblong, veined from a darker and ring-like base, about 2 mm. longer 

 than keel, about 3 mm. long, arched abruptly at end of calyx to 

 about 85 degrees, sides scarcely reflexed except at base and less 

 than 1 mm. wide, groove filling the whole banner, 3 mm. wide and 

 1 mm. deep, deeper below. Wings short, little longer than keel, 

 oblanceolate, arched so as to expose base of keel, 1-1.5 mm. wide, 

 concave to keel, twisted so os to be about horizontal at tip. Keel 

 with erect part about as long as base and sharply arched to 90 de- 

 grees and narrowly-triangular-acute. Calyx tube obcompressed at tip, 

 Hedeoma like, cami)anulate, not deeper cleft above, with rounded sin i- 

 ses, teeth slender, little shorter than tube. Peduncles very long and 

 erect as to stems, often 2 dm. long, subterminal. Leaves narrow, 

 thin, with 3-7 pairs of flat leaflets linear (often falcate) to narrowly 

 oblong but acute at both ends, 2-25 mm. long, 1-9 mm. wide, rather 

 distant, short-petiolulate and the lateral ones ,iointed to rachii. 

 Stipules subulate, united near ground. Stems diffuse when growing 

 alone, very slender, rarely 3 dm. long, many, from slender roots which 

 branch below ground and spread out in open tufts, often straggling on 

 the ground in open places but erect mostly in shade. Leaves very- 

 variable according to shade. Pubescence attached at the end in the 

 type but with a hump near base representing the other end of a pick- 

 shaped hair, closely appressed and very variable but silvery only in the 

 var. crispatus. The 'type of this variety has erect stems and linear leaves 

 with the terminal one elongated and about as long as the slender 

 petiole and raceme. It has the general habit of A. junceus, and is 

 seldom collected. Lima Montana and Rexford, Idaho, Jones. 

 Glenwood Springs, Colorado, Diehl. Type locality in southern Wyoming 



