Stylosanthes. LEGUMINOS^. 175 



ciliate ; legume 2-jointed, the lower joint sterile and stipe-like.— Swartz in act. Holm. 1789, 

 t. 11./. 2, ex DC. prodr. 2. p. 318 ; Willd. sp. 3. p. 1167; Nutt. gen. 2. p. 106 ; Ell sk. 

 2. p. 203 ; Beck, hot. p. 83 ; Darlingt. fl. Cest. p. 411 ; Torr. ^ Gr. fl. N. Am. I. p. 354. 

 S. hispida, Michx.fl. 2. p. 75, not oi Richard. Arachis aprica, Walt.fl. Car. p. 182. Tri- 

 folium biflorum, Linn. 



Root perennial. Stem 6-12 inches long, somewhat cespitose, slender and wiry, sparingly- 

 branched at the summit. Leaves on short petioles. Leaflets about an inch long, acute at 

 each end, prominently veined underneath ; those of the lower leaves sparingly ciliate towards 

 the summit. Stipules cohering (except their long subulate points) with the petiole, and also 

 with each other on the opposite side of the stem, forming a close cylindrical sheath (like the 

 ochrea of Polygonum) ; those on the lower part of the stem often naked (from the abortion 

 of the leaflets, or their failing off with the growth of the plant). Spikes 3 - 6-flowered ; the 

 flowers subtended by leafy bracts, and each with a pair of lanceolate-ciliate bracteoles at the 

 base ; one or more of the flowers fertile, but destitute of calyx, corolla and stamens. Ovary 

 of the fertile flower attenuated at the base, 2-ovuled ; in maturity, forming a small, obovate, 

 2-jointed, coriaceous legume, the lower joint of which is constantly abortive, furnishing a short 

 thick stipe. Seed solitary : radicle very short, either nearly straight or slightly curved. 

 Sterile flowers 4-5 lines in diameter, seldom more than two in each spike. Calyx-tube 

 slender and resembling a pedicel, concealed by the sheathing bases of the bracts. Corolla 

 orange-yellow : vexillum twice as long as the other petals, retuse : wings obovate : keel 

 cymbiform, entire at the apex. Ovary linear-oblong, enclosed in the base of the calyx-tube, 

 and falling oS with it, apparently always abortive : style long and thread-like. 



Sandy woods, and dry gravelly hills. Suff^olk county. Long Island ; and Manhattanville, on 

 the Island of New-York. Fl. Latter part of July - September. Fr. September - October. 



17. DESMODIUM. DC. 7nem. Leg., ^ prodr. 2. p. 325 ; Endl. gen. 6615. desmodium. 



Species of Hedysarum, Linn. 



[ From the Greek, dcsnws, a chain ; the jointed fruit having some resemblance to that article.] 



Calyx with two bracteoles at the base, usually more or less 2-lipped (rarely almost entire) ; 

 upper lip 2-cleft or 2-toothed, often entire ; the lower 3-parted or 3-toothed. Corolla in- 

 serted mto the base of the calyx : vexillum roundish : keel obtuse, but not truncate. Stamens 

 diadelphous (9 & 1), or monadelphous from the base to the middle and free above, rarely 

 wholly monadelphous. Legume (loment) compressed, composed of several one-seeded 

 joints, which at length separate. — Herbaceous (all the North American species) or suf- 

 frutescent plants. Leaves pinnately trifoliolate : leaflets stipellate. Flowers in axillary or 

 terminal (often paniculate) loose racemes, small, purplish, often turning green in withering. 

 Joints of the pod (in the North American species) reticulated, and more or less hispid with 

 short hooked liairs. 



