indented, soinetimes very slightly, but always so distinctly that — when considering 

 this character — I have never felt a doulit whether even an isolated flower belonged to 

 the typical plant or to the subspecies Turczaninoivi. The keel is about 5 — 5,5 mm. long, 

 and hindmost, where passing into the claw, furnished with an incision, so as to form a 

 vqry characteristic appendage, not observed by me in specimens of the typical plant. See 

 fig. 95. The whole plant is of a fresh green colour. Having taken only flowering speci- 

 mens, I do not know whether the pods and seeds differ from the typical species. 



This plant has been found by me on the Abakan Steppe, near Ust Kamuishto. In 

 full flower at the end of June. The typical A. sulcalus does not occur in my collections. 



Distribution: A. sulcalus is distiibuted from the south-eastern part of middle Europe 

 (Austro-Hungary), southern Russia (?), throughout southern Siberia, eastwards to Trans 

 Baikal. Subspec. Turczaninowi is probably confined to the eastern geografical range of 

 the species. 



Astragalus multicaulis Ledeb. Fl. Alt. Ill, p. 295; Bunge, Gener. Astrag. p. 22; Tur- 

 czan. Cat. Baical. no. 350; Ledeb. Fl. Ross. I, p. 606; Turczan. Fl. Baical.-Dahur. (1842) p. 

 765, no. 337; Kpmi. (Jji. Ajit. II (1903) p. 291. Astragalus bifidus Turczan. PI. Exs; Bunge, 

 1. c. p. 22. 



The specimens are characteristic in having the stems numerous, commonly 4 — 8, 

 rather short, generally only about 20 cm. long, prostrate, sometimes slightiy zigzaggy at 

 the nodes, rigid, ramified, with numerous, more or less spreading branches, of a yel- 

 lowish white colour below, where frequently more or less ligneous, higher up of a greyish 

 green or dark green, sometimes nearly bluish colour. Their lower parts are rather densely 

 puberulent, with, short, stiff, white, appressed hairs; in the upper parts the stems become 

 more sparingly puberulent, and gradually shot with black hairs increasing in number, 

 so that the upper parts of the plants, as peduncles, pedicels and calyces, especially the last- 

 mentioned ones, are nearly exclusively beset with, black hairs. Some of the marcescent 

 stems from the year before are remaining, and give, together with the spreading branches 

 and the slightly crooked stems, this plant a bushy appearance. The shape of the pinnae 

 is subjected to great variations. In my material, all taken within a comparatively con- 

 fined area, may be distinctiy distinguished between a form with broad leaflets and 

 another with narrow ones. Most of the specimens belong either to one or the other of 

 these types, intermediate forms also occur, but being comparatively few in number. In 

 the broadly leaved form, which I separate under the name of /.Za///oZja, the leaflets are 

 narrowly elleptic, 2—4 mm. broad, and 3—4—5 times as long, broadest in the middle, 

 tapering towards both ends, subobtuse or truncate at the apex. The margin of the 

 leaflets is generally flat, only rarely slightiy revolute. 



In the narrowly leaved form — which I refer as /. anguslifolia — the leaflets are 

 linear to subulate, distinctiy acuminate at the summit, and frequentiy produced into a 

 fine mucroi sometimes to several mm. long. The margin of the leaflets is generally very 

 distinctly recurvate, or the whole leaflets sometimes involute. In both forms the leaflets 



307 



