54 MINNESOTA BOTANICAL STUDIES. 



IX. REVISED DESCRIPTIONS OF THE 

 MINNESOTA ASTRAGALI. 



Edmund P. Sheldon. 



The varied types of Astragalus descriptions in the manuals 

 have made it seem necessary that a beginning be made in the 

 way of revision. The following diagnoses are made not from 

 any type specimens, but from a study of the species as I have 

 been able to observe them in the field and from the characters 

 shown by the specimens in the Herbarium of the University of 

 Minnesota, and of the Missouri Botanical Gardens. For the 

 use of the latter I am indebted to Dr. William Trelease, who 

 has kindly loaned me the specimens for study. 



Astragalus crassicarpus Nutt. in Fras. Cat. 1. 1813. 



A. carnosus Pursh F1. Aiuer. Sept. 2 : 740. 1814, 

 A. cai-yocarpus Ker. Bot. Reg. 2 : 176. 1816. 

 ^. swccwZe?iius Rich. Frank]. Journ. 18. 1823. 

 A. pachycarpus T. & G. Fl. N. Am. 1 : 332. 1838. 



Perennial, with minute, appressed pubescence, becoming 

 glabrate; stem li to 4 dm. in length, decumbent or rarely erect, 

 simple or branching only at the base, thick, striate; leaves 6 to 

 10 cm. in length, rachis grooved; leaflets 10 to 20 mm. in length, 

 in eight to fourteen pairs, narrowly oblong or obovate, usually 

 glabrous above but with close, appressed pubescence beneath; 

 siipw/es ovate-acuminate, divaricate or rarely reflexed; peduncles 

 7 to 12 mm. in length, bearing six to ten flowers in a short, 

 spike-like raceme; flowers 15 to 25 mm. in length, slender, ped- 

 icelled, erect spreading; calyx cylindrical, often tinged with 

 purple, the subulate teeth one-third to one-half the length of 

 the tube; corolla violet-purple; legume 1.5 to 2.5 cm. in length, 

 globose or ovate, glabrous, succulent, thick and fleshy, becom- 

 ing cellular, bilocular, when mature becoming dull purplish 

 ticged. 



North America: Saskatchewan to S. W. Texas; from Colo, to 

 Minn., Nebr. and Iowa. 



Minnesota: Throughout the prairie portion of the state. 



