276 



NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



90. Oxytropis DC. 1 — Flowers of Astragalus. GTermen sessile or 

 stipitate, cc -ovulate ; style straight or curved, beardless ; stigma 

 minute or capitate, terminal. Legume sessile or stipitate, rather 

 turgid, undivided, 2-valved; placenta more or less intruded and 

 projecting within. Seeds funiculate reniform exarillate. — Small or 

 large shrubs, or herbs ; unarmed or with hardened spinescent petioles ; 

 leaves imparipinnate ; stipules free or adnate to petiole ; flowers 2 

 in racemes or spikes ; inflorescences axillary or springing from wood 

 of stem ; bracts small, bractlets minute or 3 {Europe, cold and 

 mountainous regions of Asia, and America*). 



91. Biserrula L. 5 — Flowers of Astragalus. Germen sessile oo- 

 ovulate ; style curved, rather thick, tapering at apex ; stigma capitate 

 terminal. Legume linear, much flattened dorsally, longitudinally 

 divided within by a very narrow septum connecting dorsal and 

 ventral sutures into 2 lateral cc -seeded cells; valves 2, lateral com- 

 pressed ; keels simulating margins of legume, nearly equally toothed 

 or serrated ; teeth entire or minutely toothed. Seeds reniform 

 exarillate; radicle long inflexed. — A diffuse herb; leaves impari- 

 pinnate ; leaflets cc, emarginate exstipellate ; stipules 2, lateral, 

 adnate to base of petiole ; flowers 6 few, in axillary long-pedunculate 

 spikes ; bracts minute (Mediterranean 7 ). 



Fisch., Syn, Astrag. Tragac, t. A.-M. — Desf., 

 Fl. Atlant., t. 194 (Anthyllis), 202-207.— Beot., 

 Fhyt. Lusit., t. 59, 60. — Jacq., Icon. Mar., 1. 151, 

 152-155, 561 ; Hort. Vindob., t. 174; Fl. Austr., 

 t. 38, 251. — Deless., Ic. Sel., iii. 41, t. 72. — 

 Ledeb., Icon. Fl. Ross., t. 88, 95, 103, 284, 286, 

 287, 289-291, 293-300, 307, 315, 316, 318, 

 330.— Tbattttv., Im. Fl. Buss., t. 17, 34. — 

 Hook., Fl, Bor.-Amer., t. 54-56 (Phaca), 57.— 

 Hook. & Arn., Beech. Voy. BoL, t. 81. — 

 Sibth., Fl. Grac, t. 727-736.— Vis., Fl. Dal- 

 mat., t. 46 — Rotle, Illustr., t. 33. — Mor., Fl. 

 Sard,, t. 65.— Fenzl, III. Fl. Syr., t. 5-8 ; in 

 Tchikatch. As. Min., t. 2.. 3.— Bge. & Met., En. 

 Fl. Sais. Nor., t. 2-7. — Bge., Bel. Lehman,, t. 

 10, 13-15.— Kl., in Wold. Beis., Bot., t. 2 

 (Phaca), 3-5.— Harv., Thes. Cap., t. 82. — 

 Hart. & Soxd., Fl. Cap., ii. 224. — Toer. & 

 Gr., in Beckw. et G-unn. Exped,, t. 3. — A. 

 Gray, in Froc. Amer. Acad., vi. 188. — Baker, 

 in Oliv. Fl. Trop. Afr.,\\. 137.- Bot. Beg., t. 

 176, 1324.— Bot. Mag., t, 375, 843, 2335, 2380, 

 2665, 3193, 3263, 3268.— Walp., Bep., i. 684 

 {Phaca), 695; ii. 860 (Phaca), 863; v. 517; 

 Ann., i. 233 [Phaca), 235; ii. 368 (Phaca), 370; 

 iv. 495 (Phaca), 496. 



1 Astragal., 24, 66, t. 2-6, 8; Prodr., ii. 

 275.— Endl., Gen., n, 6572.— B. H., Gen., 507, 

 n. 134. — Sjiiexia Neck., Eltm,, n. 1311. 



2 Whitish, pale yellow, purple, or violet. 



3 Tins genus, which scarcely difiers from As- 

 tragalus by the septum formed by the intrusion 

 of the placentary suture, ought perhaps rather to 

 be reduced to a section thereof. 



4 " Species about 100." — Pall., Astragal, t. 

 27, 37, 42-53, 56, 57, 66 A., 71-78, 80, 81.— 

 Jacq., Fl. Austr., t. 51, 167. — Ledeb., Icon. Fl. 

 Boss., t. 54, 55, 279, 281, 282, 285, 288, 292, 

 315, 381, 451, 457. — TEArTTT., Im. Fl. Buss., 

 t. 12, 13; in Midd. Beis., t. 7. — Jacqttem., 

 Voy., t. 44, 45. — A. Geay, in Proceed. Amer. 

 Acad.,\\. 234.— Bot. Reg., t. 1054.— Bot. Mag., 

 t. 2147, 2483.— Walp., Rep., i. 690, ii. 861 ; v. 

 517 ; Ann., i. 234; ii. 370; iv. 496. 



5 Gen., n. 893. — J., Gen,, 358. — Gjebtn., 

 F,uct,, ii. 340, t. 154. — Lamk., Diet., vi. 77; 

 Suppl., iv. 655; III, t. 622.— DC, Prodr., ii. 

 307.— Endl., Gen., n. 6574.— B. H., Gen., 507, 

 n. 135.— Pelecinus T., Inst., 417, t. 234. 



6 Bluish, small. 



7 Species 1. B. Pelecinus L., Spec, 1073. — 

 Gieseck, Icon., fasc. i. t. 17. — Sibth., Fl. 



