1 38 Muhlenbergia, Volume 5 



piisillits. 5. L. biennis, pusillus, undique pilis albidis hirsutis- 

 simns; foliis cligitatis: foliolis (7) lineari-ellipticis 

 supra glabris, calvcibns alternis iuappendicnlatis: 

 labio snperiore bipartito; inferiore integro, legu- 

 minibus snb-dispennis. 

 On tbe banks of the Missouri. [Biennial sign.] June. 

 v. s. in Herb. Lewis. Flowers small, a fine blue 

 mixed with red. 



The next mention of the plant is by Nuttall, Gen. 2: 93. 

 1818. His description is somewhat fuller and differs a little: 

 "Annual, small and very hairy; leaves digitate, leaflets (5 to 7) 

 cuneate-oblong, above smooth and somewhat glaucous; flowers 

 alternate, calix inappendiculate, upper lip short and bidentate, 

 lower ovate-lanceolate, entire; legume 2-seeded, hirsute. Hah. 

 ( )n the barren argillaceous plains of the Missouri, near the con- 

 fluence of White River. Obs. From 4 to 6 inches high, grow- 

 ing in considerable quantities together; flowers bright blue, ap- 

 pearing in May; bractes nearly as long as the calix, the lower 

 lip of which is twice the length of the upper; wings of the co- 

 rolla adnate at the summit; carina resupinate, attenuated; stam- 

 ina united into a cylinder, anthers alternatelv minute; style 

 smooth, rigidly persistent; legume extremely pilose-hirsute." 



Hooker, Fl. Bor. Am. 1 : 163. 1830, records it from "the 

 barren grounds of the Columbia. Douglas. This is a very sin- 

 gular species, with short, sessile, many-flowered racemes. The 

 membrane of the filaments is very large, five of the stamens are 

 elongated and barren, five shorter with linear orange-colored 

 anthers. Legumes about an inch long, each with two flat seeds." 



Agardh, Syn. Gen. L,up. 15. 1835, has evidently taken his 

 description from Douglas' specimen "ad confluentes rivulos Co- 

 lumbiae et "Levis Clarkes river" lectum, vidi in lib. Lindl." 

 He described it as much branched from the base, the basal 

 branches horizontal. The (lowers are said to be few and re- 

 mote, the bracts sub-obovate, equalling the calyx tube, and the 



1 calyx lobe su bidentate, the middle tooth longer. 



