a3i 



188 Astragalus Bigelovii Gray PI. \Vr. 2 42 (1853). Pods oblong- 

 oval to ovate, oblique and barely arched, about 1 cm. long though va- 

 rying from 7 mm. long to 2 cm. long, ovate in the type, about 7 mm. 

 wide and 5 mm, high, sulcate deeper above, shortly-triangular-acute 

 with upturned, tip cross-section from circular to oblate with septum 

 variable but hardly reaching the ventral suture throughout. The pods 

 vary greatly from much inflated and almost as broad as long to much 

 narrower and elongated, the pubescence is shaggy and rather short, 

 riowers densely spicate, purple and showy, rather broad and with the 

 claws not exserted, about 2 cm. long, but the petals inclined to be ra- 

 the": stubby. Bnnner arcuate to about 80 degrees in a gentle curve, the 

 si;ies reflexed much and 3 mm. wide below but not much at tip so that 

 the banner seems oblong, groove 2 mm. deep and nearly as wide being 

 bioadly V-shaped and continuous to the tip, white spot filling groove 

 and coming within 2 mm. of tip and narrowly-oblong, banner notched 

 and iniri)le tinned with edges rose-purple and ba.se darker. Wings 

 linear, aboiii 1 mm. wide, with a little lobe at base on the upper side, 

 obtuse, I iiiiii. longer than heel to nearly as long as banner, mostly 2-4 

 mm. shorter than })anner which is ahriut 7 mm lon.ii ascending 30 de- 

 gree~, dark-ro-e imrple at l>a-e, tlie u;)per 4 mm, white, nearly flat, the 

 tip a little incurveil. Keel da'.-k i-u'ple tipped, blunt, gently arcuate 

 from near the liase to one third cii'cle or sharjily to a half-cirlc and then 

 3-4 mm, long and high. Caly.x pink, a little inflated, becoming nar- 

 rower and wliite with age, sliaL^gy with spreading hairs, laterally flat- 

 tened, gibbons, ascnding. with tube about 7 mm. long and 4-5 mm, 

 wide, \\ ith subulate teeth about half as long as tube. Bracts persis- 

 tent, rather large, from 4-10 mm. long. Peduncles stout, erect or de- 

 clined ;ind sc;ipo>c, .5-20 cm. long, mostly shorter than the leaves, the 

 fruiting racliis about as long as the peduncle. Ltaves 7-20 cm. long, 

 with petioles as long as the rachis. Leaflets nearly round to oval, 

 very obtuse, about 12 pairs, 7-20 mm. long in the type densely shaggy 

 with yellow hairs. Stems normalh'^ almost none and with the thick 

 crowns sometimes a little produced and woody and with closely im- 

 bricated stipules which are 1-2 cm. long. This very variable species 

 is common in the Rio Granrle valley and westward at least to Flag- 

 staff .Arizona and the Santa Ritas and to Monterey and Durango Mex- 

 ico. It grows mostly in the Lower Temperate life zone, going down 

 a little into the Tropical, in gravel on dry benches, in the open and 

 blooming in early sj^rinu. 



Astragalus Bigelovii var. Matthewsii (Watson Proc. .A.m. Acad. 18 

 192 1883 as species). This differs in no respect from the type except 

 that the flowers are loosely spicate, the bracts green and lanceolate 

 and longer, and the pods are about 1.5 cm. long and conspicuously in- 

 flated and chestnut-shaped, nearly as wide as long and about half as 

 high. Fort Wingate New Mexico on the Little Colorado in the Nav- 

 ajo Basin. 



Astragalus Bigelovii var. Thompsonae (Watson) Jon^s Cont. 8 

 23 (1898). A. Thompsonae \yatson Proc. Am. Acad. 10 MS (1875) as 

 species. Pods ovate to acuminate-lanceolate, 1-3 cm. long, conspicu- 

 ously arcuate normally to a half circle, hardly 1 cm. wide and rarely 7 

 mm. high, decidcilly obcompressed and with cross-section about that 

 of the figure oo , with tip 1-celled a distance of 4-7 mm. down, shortly 

 velvety-shaggy, with walls about 2 mm, thick when fresh. Flowers 

 rather light-purple and with lighter bases, about 2 cm. long, loosely 

 spicate. Banner arched abruptly at calyx tii)s to 45-75 degrees, ap- 

 pearing fiddle-slia])ed, with side-^ reflexcd a little below, with white 

 spot finely stippled and notched and obovate. Wings horizontal at tip 

 and rather narrower. Calyx tube 7-10 mm. long, teeth rarely over one 

 third as long as tube and often black-shaggy, liracts often nearly as 

 long as calyx. Peduncles rarely shorter than the leaves, often 2 dm. 

 long, stout, ascending, with many flowers and asi;ending pods. The 



