137 



softly villous throughout with fine white loosely^spreading 

 hairs." Mr. Parish cites Mr. Grant's plant as part of his 71 

 monanthum teneriim^ but if the plant of his own collecting is 

 identical with ours, he did not have T. teneritm Eastw. T. 

 Grantianum has branches i dm. or more in length. The foli- 

 age is blue-green in color. Although belonging to the same 

 group, it is very different from typical T. moitanthwnt. 



Hesperastragalus dispermus (Gray) 



Astragalus dispermus Gray, Proc. Am. Acad. 13: 365. 

 1878. 



The type of this species was collected at Wickenburg, Ari- 

 zona, by Dr. Palmer, in 1876. The plant has also been found 

 in southeastern California. 



To the writer this genus appeals as one of the most distinct 

 of the Astragalus segregates. Not only do the plants not re- 

 semble true Astragalus in outward appearance, but the peculiar 

 pod, almost two-parted in the type species, is a strong character, 

 outwardly evident, without the necessity of cross-sectioning. It 

 is altogether possible that flower characters may be found to 

 reinforce fruit characters in these different genera when the liv- 

 ing plants are studied, which is the only way to properly study 

 them. 



Since the above was written it has been possible to exam- 

 ine fresh flowers of the two common species. The structure is 

 essentially that of a Trifolium flower. The banner is almost 

 plane, either slightly concave on the ventral side with rounded 

 entire apex (this noted in a perhaps undescribed form from the 

 San Joaquin valley), or as in //. GambelliamLS from Los Gatos 

 the ventral side with a longitudinal depression, the rounded 

 apex notched and slightly turned back. Tlie wings are about 

 three-fourths the length of the banner, standing almost parallel 

 with it, and away from the keel, this latter as long as the wings 

 or nearly so, broad in proportion to the size of the flower, the 

 hooded apex not much deeper than the body. 



