14 Trans. Acad. Sci. of St. Louis. 



Specimens examined. — Bush, Jackson Co., Aug. 31, 1891, in part. — 

 Mackenzie, 445, Swope Park, Jackson Co., Sept. 13, 1901; 219, Aug. 7, 

 1895. — Mackenzie, 208, Westport, Oct. 5, 1895, an entirely apetalous form; 

 Aug. 31, 1891, an entirely apetalous form. — Engelmann, St. Louis Co. 



9. Lespedeza violacea prairea n. var. 



PI. I.f.1,2. 



An ascending or somewhat spreading, much branched 

 perennial, glabrous below, short appressed-hairy above ; 

 branches spreading, and much interwoven ; leaflets obovate 

 to obcordate, 6-18 mm. long, 4-9 mm. wide, mucronate, and 

 obtuse or retuse at the apex, rounded below, smooth above, 

 appressed-pubescent beneath ; petiolules villous, 1 mm. long ; 

 rachis (2-6 mm. long) and petiole (2-12 mm. long) ap- 

 pressed-hairy; stipules linear-subulate, 4 mm. long; flowers 

 subcapitate, not paniculate, 2-6 together, on peduncles less 

 than 2 mm. long, but the inflorescence exceeding the leaves ; 

 often two peduncles arise from the same leaf axis ; flowers 

 on pedicels 1-2 mm. long, rarely a little longer ; calyx 3 mm. 

 long, appressed-hairy, the teeth lanceolate-subulate or nar- 

 rower, about the length of the tube and much shorter than 

 the corolla; corolla purplish, 6-8 mm. long, the keel notice- 

 ably longer than the wings and standard ; non-petaliferous 

 flowers in short-pedunculate or subsessile clusters ; pods sub- 

 sessile or very short-stiped in the calyx, orbicular-oval, 3-4 

 mm. long, acute, strongly reticulate-veined, short appressed- 

 hairy or subglabrous, much exceeding the calyx. 



Differs from the specific form in being smaller throughout, 

 in its non-paniculate inflorescence, and in its much shorter 

 pedicels. It is the common form in this State, and is inter- 

 mediate between the species and L. repens. Its non-procum- 

 bent character at once distinguishes it from both L. repens 

 and L. procumbens. Further study will probably prove that 

 it is entitled to specific rank. It is very common on dry 

 prairies, where L. violacea is never found, whence the name 

 given it. 



Type locality, Lee's Summit, Missouri; collected by Bush, 

 No. 93, and Mackenzie, Sept. 2, 1895 ; type in herb. Mis- 

 souri Botanical Garden, and in herb. K. K. Mackenzie. 



