269 Leptocarpi. 



about 2 mm. high, a little laterally flattened, barely grooved below, 

 obscurely bisulcate above. Leaflets narrowly linear and acute, 

 about 7 pairs, about 1 cm. long. Stems many, erect or ascending. 

 Upper leaves sessile. Quite a peculiar plant but evidently an off- 

 shoot of A. tener. Mt. Eden California, Brandegee, April 27, 1890. 



238. Astragalus RattanJ Gray Proc. Am. Acad. 19 75 (1883). 

 A. pauperculus Greene. Pods very narrowly linear to almost filiform, 

 3-4 cm. long, rarely 2 mm. high, laterally flattened and triquetrous, 

 long-acuminate to a fine and straight point, narrowed below and 

 empty and seemingly thick-stipitare, .straight or equally arched to a 

 half circle, or some pods bent near the base, shallow sulcate dor- 

 sally, not at all ventrally but suture raised and rib-like, with cross 

 section narrowly triangular-cordate to almost round, the tip gen- 

 erally erect but flowers inclined to be reflexed. Flowers about 1 

 cm. long but variable. Banner oval, about 8 mm. long, deeply 

 notched, arched abruptly at end of calyx to 45 ^ with sides re- 

 flexed 1 mm. wide in the ,middle. Wings half-rhomboidal, about the 

 shape of the keel but tapering toward the tip, about 1-2 mm. longer 

 than keel and 3-4 man. shorter than banner, nearly white. Keel with 

 straight base, about 5 mm. long, then abruptly erect, about 2 mm. 

 high, the tip deltoid and 3 mm. high. Calyx rounded at base and 

 equally inserted, oblique and cleft deeper above v.'ith rounded 

 sinuses, the teeth triangular and about one-third the tube. The 

 flowers vary a half in size, are often white or only purple-tipped 

 and with conspicuous parallel-veined white spot, making the heads 

 seem as if white banded, the wings vary greatly, often being ob- 

 liquely oblong. Bracts hyaline, about 1 mm. long, equaling the pedi- 

 cels. Peduncles 2-5 cm. long, spreading, longer than the leaves, 

 with dense heads. Leaves lax and thin, 2-3 cm. long, short-petioled, 

 spreading, with 4-5 pairs of linear-cuneate and notched leaflets 

 nearly smooth. Stipules small and triangular. Stems almost fili- 

 form, straggling over weeds or flat on the ground. From Mendo- 

 cino Co. southward through the Sacramento valley. . Tropical. It 

 is very doubtful whether this is distinct from A. tener. 



239. Astragalus VVrightii Gray PI. Lindh. 2 176 (1850). Pods 

 3-4 mm. high, laterally flattened, slightly sulcate dorsally, with par- 

 tition intruded to the middle, very blunt and rounded at base and 

 with triangular acute tip about in line with the dorsal suture which 

 is straight, the ventral suture convex and pod seemingly up-side- 

 down, cross section triquetrous-cordate. Flowers 4-5 mm. long, erect 

 in dense heads, much as in A. lotiflorus. Banner oval, little arched, 

 3-4 mm. long, hardly surpassing the calyx lobes. Wings oblong, 

 about as long as keel and a little shorter than banner. Keel with 

 straight base and erect short tip. Calyx tube rather turbinate, 

 hardly 1 mm. long, cleft nearly to the base with sharp sinuses, the 

 lobes linear and acute, 3-4 mm. long and erect, about half as long 

 as pods. Bracts like the calyx lobes and as long. Pedicels about 

 1 mm. long. Peduncles 3-5 cm. long, strict, in the upper axils, 

 longer than the leaves, becoming stout. Leaves 2-4 cm. long, the 

 upper sessile, the lower half petiole, ascending. Leaflets 3-5 pairs, 

 rarely 1 cm. long, narrowly to broadly elliptical, acute at both ends 

 at least on upper leaves. Stipules conspicuous, triangular, green, 

 3-5 mm. long, erect. Stems erect, inclined to be flexuous and sim- 

 ple, though often branched, a foot or less high, with slender inter- 

 nodes shorter than the leaves. The plant has the habit and appear- 

 ance of a Dalea. It grows in rather open, dry or stony places in 

 central Texas. Tropical. It has somewhat the appearance of A. 

 sesamus. 



240. Astragalus NuttzIHanus DC. Prod. 2 289 (1825). A. 

 micranthus Nutt, Hamosa Rydberg. A. Nuttallianus var. canescens 

 T. & G. Hamosa austrina Small. Pods 2-3 cm. long, not over 3 mm. 

 high or wide, slightly sulcate dorsally, pubescent except when fully 

 ripe at times, mostly much laterally flattened, barely narrowed be- 



