302 ORDER 46. LEGUMINOS^E. 



sistent ; petals of about equal length, those of the keel nearly distinct 

 and straight; vexillum orbicular, emarginate ; stamens lo, distinct, 

 deciduous ; legume inflated, stipitate, , many (or by abortion few)- 

 seeded. ^ Lvs. palmately 3-foliate, or simple. 



Leaves simple. Flowers yellow Nos. 1 ". 



Leaves 3-foliate. Fls. blue, in few elongated racemes No. 4 



Fls. white in few elongated racemes, (a) 

 Fls. yellow, solitary or in short racemes, (b) 



a Stipules leaf-like, longer than the petioles Nos. 5, 6 



a Stipules much shorter, or not longer than the petioles Nos. 7, 8 



b Pedicels not longer than the calyx. Drying dark JSos. 9, 10 



b Pedicels much longer than the calyx. Drying bright. Nos. 1113 



1 B. perfoliata R. Br. Glabrous and glaucous, Ivs. oval, orbicular, perfoliate; 

 fls. solitary, axillary. S. Car. and Ga. (Savannah, Feay) in the pine woods. St. 

 branching, 1 to 2f high. Lvs. large (2 by 2'), all turned one way, and com- 

 pletely closed at base around the stem or branch. Corolla 6" long, on a pedicel 

 half as long. Pod large, inflated. A remarkable species. May Jl. 



2 B. microph^lla Nutt. "Lvs. simple, sessik, roundish, cuneiform; the upper 

 somewhat clasping, stipules roundish ; fls. axillary; legumes short, subglobose." 

 W. Fla. to Ala. St. much branched. Lvs. small (7 to 10" in length), the upper 

 partially coalescing with the stipules. Described by Mr. Nuttall from late fruit- 

 ing specimens. Not since found ? 



3 B. simplicifolia Groom. Glabrous ; ivs. broadly ovate, obtuse, sessile ; stip. 

 none; racemes terminal, elongated, many -flowered; bracts ovate, as long as the 

 pedicels. Quincy. Fla. St. furrowed, branching, 2 to 3f high. Lvs. large (2 to 

 4' by 1J to 3'), rather firm, shining above. Fls. 8" long, the pedicels shorter. 

 Leg. ovate, about 6" long. Jn. Sept. 



4 B. australis R. Br. Glabrous ; petioles short ; Ifts. obovate or somewhat ob- 

 long, obtuse ; stip. lanceolate, rather longer than the petioles, distinct at base ; 

 rac. long, erect ; leg. oblong-oval, stipe long as the calyx. Alluvial soils, Ohio 

 River to Ga. and La. St. 2 to 3f high* branched. Petioles 1 to 6" long. Lfts. 

 1 1 to 3' by f to 1', sometimes acute. Stip. to 1' long. Fls. indigo blue, large, 

 very showy. Pod about 2' long. Jn. Aug. 



5 B. leticophsea Nutt. Yillous ; petioles almost ; Ifts. oblanceolate, varying 

 to obovate ; stip. and bracts large, triangular-ovate, persistent ; rac. nodding, the 

 many flowers turned to the upper side on their long pedicels ; kg. ovoid or roundish, 

 inflated. Common in wild prairies, W. States and southward. St. 2 to 3f high, 

 smoothish when old. Lfts. 2 to 3' by to 1', stipules more than half as large. 

 Rac. 20 to 50-flowered, inclined horizontally. Pedicels 1 to 2' long. Corollas 

 very large, ochroleucous. Apr. 



6 B. villosa Ell. Villous-pubescent ; petioles almost 0; Ifts. lance-oblong, or 

 oblanceolato ; stip. lance-linear, persistent ; rac. long (erect ?) ; bracts minute, de- 

 ciduous; ped. not secund; leg. oblong. N. Car. to Ga., rare. Plant of coarse as- 



v pect, as well as No. 5, 2 to 3f high. Lfts. 2 to 3' long, obtuse, tapering at base, 

 becoming smoothish when old. Fls. dirty white, nearly 1' long. Jn., Jl. 



7 B. leucantha Torr & Gr. Glabrous and glaucous ; Ivs. petiolate ; Ifts. cunei- 

 form-obovate, obtuse ; stip. lance-linear about as long as petioles, often caducous ; 

 rac. elongated, erect ; bracts caducous ; leg. inflated, stipitate. Conspicuous in 

 rich soils, prairies, etc., W. States to Ga. and Fla. St. thick, 2 to 4f high, 

 branched above. Rac. 6 to 24' long, with large white fls. Ltls. 1 to 2' long. 

 The whole plant turns bluish-black in drying. May Jl. 



8 B. alba R. Br. Glabrous, fastigiate-b ranched above; petioles slender; Ifts. 

 elliptic-oblanceolate, acute at base; stip. and bracts minute, caducous; rac. erect 

 or nodding, on a long peduncle ; pedicels rather longer than calyx. In rich soils, 

 Ya. to Fla. Plant 2 to 3f high. Lfts. about 1' long, a third as wide, the petiole 

 about half as long. Fls. pure white. Plant does not blacken in drying. Mar. Apr. 



:9 B. lanceolata Ell. Much branched, bushy; Ivs. subsessile ; Jfts. narrowly 

 elliptic, varying to oblanceolate, tapering to a petiolule, obtuse; stip. almost 

 none ; fls. axillary, subsolitary, short-pedicelled ; leg. ovate-globous. Pine woods, 

 S. Car. to Fla, and La. About 2f high. Foliage yellowish-green ; Ivs. 2 to 3" 



