189 



1 2 H YPOGl.OTTIDES. 



I'ods •■2-celled, broadly obloug to linear, nearly straight but 

 oblique, -not over 1 cm. long, inclined, to be obcompressed with 

 convex sides, not inflated, pubescent, not over 4 mm. wide, hard- 

 ly twice the calyx, minutely sti})itate, opening first at ti}) but on- 

 ly a little at any time, with cross-sectujn triangular-coniate to 

 reniform. Flowers densely spicute or in heads or gubternnnal on 

 rather elongated peduncles, nni-rovy, about 1.5-2 cm. long. Calyx 

 tube short-cylindric to cylindric. Stipules conspicuously connate. 

 Stems tufted or many, decumbent, rarely a foot long, from per- 

 ennial roots. Plants of the Middle and Upper Temperate life 

 zone. 



KEY 



Pubescence rather coarse, tixed near the middle 126 nitidus 

 Pubescence very fine, fixed at the base. 127 agrestis 



126 Astragalus nitidus Douglas in Hook. Fl. Bor. Am. 1 149 (1834). 

 pods sulcatc, oblong to narrowly so, 7-10 mm. long, 3-4 mm. high, 

 chartaceous, hoary with minute and appressed pubescence, never 

 more than twice as long as calyx, rrtther laterally flattened toward tip, 

 spicate or rarely lacemose, shortly stipitate, I'tdc arcuate when longer: 

 with ventral suture convex at tip and with declined point; cross-sec- 

 tion reniform to triangular; septum produced nearly. to the ventral 

 suture. Flowers quite variable but normally white, sometimes purple, 

 densely set in oblong heads, appressed in flower and fruit, about 1.5 

 cm. long. Banner oblong and often much elongated, 7-12 mm. long, 

 variously arched below calyx tip to 20-45 degrees. Wings linear to 

 oblanceolate,. from a trifle loi!ger to 4 mm. longer than keel and 2-4 

 mm. shorter than banner, narrower than keel, but little arched, obtuse. 

 Keel nearly the same width throughout, half-oval-ohovatc, from nearly 

 straight along the upper side to square at the erect or slightly out- 

 turned tip, colored, 2-7 mm. long, about 2-3 mm. high. Calyx tube 

 short-cylindric, 3-6 mm. long and about 2 mm. high, rather acutish at 

 base and equally inserted, scarcely to somewhit oblique at tip, hyaline 

 and inclined to be nigrescent with closely appressed hairs, sessile, the 

 subulate teeth fully half as long as tube and often with threadlike tips. 

 Bracts nearly as long as calyx tube, triangular and hyaline. Pedun- 

 cles about 1 dm. long, generally twice as long as spikes, ' sometimes 

 a foot long, stout and sulcate. Leaves 7-12 cm. long, little tapering, 

 all somewhat pctioled but the upper petioles short. Leaflets 6-12 pairs, 

 1-4 cm. long, narrowly elliptical to Hnear-oblong or lanceolate, 4-7 

 mm. wide, flat, rather rigid, acutish to acute, closely silvery with very 

 delicate hairs fixed near the middle and closely appressed, the pubes- 

 cence varying from white to sparse, and plants then green. .Stipules 

 large, scarious. .Stems decumbent, about a foot long, with few and 

 rather long internodes and many root leaves, from a thick and woody 

 crown. From the Plains at. Santa Fee New Mexico north^N'ard 

 through Colorado and western \ebraska to .-X-ssiniboifi, westward to 



