LfeGIJMINOS^. (pulse FAMILY.) 101 



Var, diver gens. {L. Aivergens, Pursh.) Stems diffuse ; leaflets oval or ob- 

 long ; peduncles filiform, few-flowered, longer than the leaves, and bearing 

 chiefly sterile flowers. 



"Var. sessiliflora. (L. sessiliflora, Michx. L. violacea. Ell.) Stem erect ; 

 leaflets oblong ; flowers mostly fertile, in dense and nearly sessile clusters which 

 are much crowded near the summit of the branches. 



Var. reticulata. (L. reticulata, Pers ) Stem erect ; leaves linear-oblong ; 

 flowers clustered as in the preceding variety. 



Diy barren soil, Florida to Mississippi, and northward. August. — Stem 

 2° -3° high. Leaflets pale beneath. Corolla twice as long as the calyx. 



3. L. Stuvei, Nutt. Stem erect, branching, softly-pubescent ; leaflets oval 

 or roundish, tomentose or silky on both surfaces, or only beneath, longer than 

 the petiole ; racemes axillary, mostly longer than the leaves ; flowers nearly 

 all perfect and fertile ; legume longer than the calyx, ovate, villous. — Dry 

 sterile soil, Mississippi to North Carolina, and northward. August. — Intcrme-, 

 diate between No. 2 and No. 4. 



* * Flowers all perfect and fertile : corolla as long as the calijx, yellowish-white, the 

 vexiUum spotted with purple : legume included in the culgx. 



4. L. hirta. Ell. Stem erect, pubescent or villous ; leaflets oval or round- 

 ish, longer than the petiole, pubescent beneath or on boih sides ; spikes dense, on 

 peduncles longer than the leaves ; calyx-teeth lincar-lanecolate, as long as the 

 ovate pubescent legume. — Dry barren soil, Florida to Mississippi, and north- 

 ward. August. — Stem 2° - 4° high. 



5. L. capitata, Michx. Stem mostly simple, softly pubescent, erect ; 

 leaves short-petioled ; leaflets varying from oblong to linear, silky on both sides, 

 or only beneath ; calyx hairy, longer than the oval villous legume. (L. frutes- 

 cens and L. angustifolia. Ell.) — Dry or damp sterile soil, Florida to Mississippi, 

 and northward. August. — Stem 2° -4° liigh. 



25. DESMODIUM, DC. (Hedtsardm, L, Ell.; 



Flowers all similar and perfect. Calyx bilabiate ; the upper lip emai-ginate 

 or entire, the lower 3-clcft. Corolla inserted on the base of the calyx. Stamens 

 diadelphous (9 &1), or more or less monadelphous. Legume flattened, 2-6- 

 jointed. — Chiefly perennial branching herbs. Leaves trifoliolate, petioled, stip- 

 ulate ; the leaflets petiolulate and stipellate. Flowers small, purple or whitish, in 

 terminal racemes or panicles. Legumes hispid with hooked hairs. 



§ 1 . Stamens monadelphous below : legumes conspicuouslg stipitate, 2 - i-jointed, the 

 joints half-obovate, concave on the hack. 

 1. D. pauciflorum, Nutt. Stem low, ascending, mostly simple, leafy; 

 leaves scattered, long-petioled ; leaflets thin, acute, ciliate, pale beneath, the lat- 

 eral ones ovate, the terminal one rhombic-ovate ; stipules minute ; racemes ter- 

 minal, 4 - 8-flowered, mostly shorter than the leaves. — Shady woods, Florida to 

 Tennessee, and northward. August. — Stem 1° high. Leaflets l'-2' long. 

 Corolla pale-puiple or white. 

 9* 



