Lbspbdeza. LEGUMINOS^. 183 



3. Lespedeza violacea, Pers. Bush Clover. 



Stein erect or diffuse ; leaflets varying from oval-oblong to linear, equalling or longer than 

 the petiole ; racemes axillary, few-flowered, shorter or a little longer than the leaves ; apeta- 

 lous flowers glomerate, and nearly sessile in the axils of the leaves ; legumes of the sessile 

 flowers nearly orbicular, of the petaiiferous ones ovate. — Pers. syn. 2. p. 318 ; Pursh, fl. 2. 

 p. 481 ; Torr. ^ Gr. ft. N. Am. 1. p. 367. Hedysarum violaceum, Linn. sp. 2. p. 749 

 (excl. syn. Gron.) ; Willd sp. 3. p. 1195. H. frulescens, Linn. I. c. 



var. 1. divergens : peduncles, towards the extremity of the branches, filiform, and much 

 longer than the leaves , the flowers rarely producing fruit ; leaflets oval or oblong. Torr. ^• 

 Gr. I. c. L. divergens, Pursh, I. c. ; DC. prodr. 2. p. 350. Hedysarmn divergens, Willd. 

 I. c. 



var. 2. sessiliflora : flowers somewhat .glomerate, on peduncles much shorter than the 

 leaves ; those at the base chiefly apetalous and fertile ; leaflets oblong or elliptical. Torr. <^ 

 Gr. I. c. L. sessiliflora, Michx. I. c. (partly); Pursh, ft. I. c. ; Nutt. gen. 2. p. 108; DC. 

 I. c. (including L. violacea) ; Ell. sk. 2. p. 204 ; Beck, hot. p. 86 ; Darlingt.fl. Cest. p. 420. 

 Hedysarum violaceum, Linn, (in part) ; Willd. 1. c. 



var. 3. angustifolia : peduncles short ; the flowers glomerate towards the extremity of the 

 branches ; petioles slender, mostly erect ; leaves much crowded above, and fascicled on short 

 branchlcts ; leaflets narrowly oblong or linear. Torr. <^ Gr. I. c. Lespedeza reticulata, Pers. 

 st/n. I. c. ; DC. I. c. ; Beck, hot. p. 86 ; Darlingt. I. c. L. sessiliflora (partly), Michx. I. c. 

 L. frutescens, DC. not of Ell. Hedysarum reliculatum, Willd. I. c. Medicago Virginica. 

 Linn. 



Stems usually several from one root, usually erect, but in the third variety often inclined or 

 diverging, slender, nearly simple or somewhat branching, pubescent. Leaves all petiolate : 

 leaflets half an inch to an inch and a quarter long, and in var. 1. only 1-3 lines wide, a little 

 hairy with appressed pubescence underneath. Stipules subulate, minute. Flowers smaller 

 than in L. procumbens ; the petaiiferous ones sometimes fertile. Calyx hairy ; the segments 

 narrowly lanceolate, the 2 upper ones united nearly to the summit. Corolla violet-purple. 

 Legumes of the petaiiferous flowers diff"erent in form from the others, being longer, and 

 acuminated with the long straight style. 



Dry woods and thickets ; common. August - September. 



if 2. Lespedezaria, Torr. & Gr. flowers all fertile and perfect, in dense or capitate spikes: corolla 

 about the length of the calyx, white or ochroleucous, with a purple spot on the vcxillum : stems 

 erect. 



4. Lehpedeza iiirta, Ell. Hairy Lespedeza. 



Stem branching above, villous ; leaflets roundish-oval, emarginale, pubescent or silky, 

 mostly longer than the petiole ; spikes oblong-cylindrical, the peduncles al length much longer 



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