THE PEA FAMILY. 



--(-s 



pilionaceous ; standard rather small, deeply notched at theapcx; wings; lone 

 narrow; keel, straight, rounded. Stumcns : ten, incurved, separate witliering-per- 

 sistent. Legumes : linear and projecting a remnant of tiie style, lomentose. 

 Leaves: long-petioled, with conspicuous leafy stipules at their bases; three-foliate* 

 the leaflets ovate, or obovate-oblong; entire; thin, bright green above- lighter 

 below and silky. Stetn : three to five feet high; stout ; glabrous. ' 



Somewhat these rigid, upright sticks of bloom remind us of the great 

 mullen ; for their flowers are also a bright, gay yellow, and not of a 

 pea-like shape. Usually we find them fully blown at the top of the shaft, 

 although its lower part is already surrounded with pods, looking as fluffy 

 from their white fuzz as ducklings which have but shortly pipped the shell. 

 Among them the persistent calyx has a dried and weather beaten air. The 

 leaves of the plant also being graceful it is altogether a charming individual 

 to meet in its mountainous haunts. 



BLUE FALSE INDIGO. WILD INDIGO. 



Baptisia austral is. 



Flcnvers: large; growing abundantly in erect racemes, often twelve inches long; 

 the bracts early falling. Calyx: campanulate. Corolla: papilionaceous, the ban- 

 ner being somewhat shorter than the wings and keel. Stavietis : ten. Legumes: 

 one and one half inches long, oblong ; inflated, tipped with the style. Leaves: 

 three-foliate, with short petioles and lanceolate, leafy, stipules which are persis- 

 tent. Leaflets: oblanceolate, or cuneate-obovate, mostly rounded at the apex; 

 almost sessile; entire. Stem: two to six feet high ; glabrous. 



Almost constantly through the summer the flower-seeker is nseeting with 

 members of this large genus, and while in general there is an unmistakable- 

 look about them all, it is often rather puzzling to definitely locate them in 

 the family. That the wild indigo, however, bears blue flowers is enough to 

 distinguish it from those others which have herein been included. Among 

 the country people they are all rather well known, especially for the purpose 

 of making domestic dyes, and in their selection of them there is consider- 

 able distinction between the species. 



B. cilha, wild white indigo, a much branched plant, bears smaller leaflets 

 and flowers than the false blue one. The leaflets also are mostly oblong, 

 blunt at the apex and appear very symmetrical and smooth. The blossoms 

 are white. They grow loosely in lateral racemes and are very dainty, having 

 a small, ovate and recurved banner. In drying the plant remains tmchanged 

 in colour. 



B. leucdntha, large white wild indigo, an attractive bushy plant, is smooth 

 throughout and bears an abundance of three-foliate leaves which in drying 

 turn to black, It may, however, most readily be known by its beautiful 



