320 Obder 46.— LEGUMINOSjE. 



/ 



with a broadly expanded banner. In mcdicino tho leaves are used instead of 

 senna. Jn. — Aug. f 



44. WISTA'RIA, Nutt. (In memory of Caspa.r Wistar, M.J)., 

 Prosident of Am. Phil. See.) Calyx bilabiaie, upper lip cmarginate, 

 the lower one 3 suboqual teeth ; voxilluin with 2 callosities ascending 

 the claw and separating above ; wings and keel falcate, the former ad- 

 iioring at top; legume t-orulous; seeds many, reniform. — Twining, 

 shrubby plants, with pinnate Ivs. Rao. large, with large, colored bracts. 

 I'Js. lilao-colored. 



1 "W. frutesoens DC. Sta. pubescent when young, at length glabrous; lft.s. 9 to 

 13, ovate or elliptic-lanceolate, acute, subpubescent ; wings with 2 auricles at 

 base; ova. glabrous, — An ornamental, vigorous vine, in rich alluvion, S. & W. 

 States. Sts. several yards long, climbing over bushes, etc. Lfts. 1 to 2' by ^ to 

 1'. Fls. nearly as large as those of tho sweet pea, numerous, in rac. 3 to 6 or 8' 

 long, sheathed in very conspicuous bracts. Sds. .spotted. Apr., May. f (Glyeine 

 frutescens L. Thyosanthus Ell.) 



2 W. consequSna Benth. Lfls. 9 to 13, ovate-lanceolate, silky-pubescent; 

 rac. terminal, nodding, loosely many-flowered.— A splendid flowering vine from 

 China. St. of rapid growth, 12f or more in length. Pis. in long, pendulous 

 clusters. May, Jn. f 



45. ATIOS, L. Ground Nut. ('Amor, the pear; from the form of 

 its tubers.) Calyx campanulate, obscurely bilabiate, the upper lip of 2 

 very short, rounded teeth, the 2 lateral teeth nearly obsolete, the lower 

 one acute and elongated ; keel falcate, pushing back the broad, plicate 

 vexillum at top ; ovary sheathed at base. — V Twining, smooth. lioot 

 bearing edible tubers. Lvs. pinnatoly 5 to Y-foliate. 



A. tuberosa Ph. St. twining ; lvs. pinnate, of 7 ovate-lanceolate lfls. ; rac. 

 shorter than the lvs. — Thickets and shady woods. Can. and U. S., twining about 

 other plants. St. round, 2 to 4f in length. Lvs. rather numerous, each consist- 

 ing of 3 (rarely 2) pairs of leaflets and an odd terminal one. These are ovate, 

 narrow, more or less pointed, smooth, on short pedicels. Rac. axillary, solitary, 

 1 to 3' long, crowded. Fls. dark purple. To the root are appended oval, fleshy 

 tubers, which are very nutritious, and would perhaps be cultivated had wo not 

 the potato. Jl., Aug. (Glycine Apios L.) 



46. VIG'NA, Savi. (In meiHory of Dominic Vigna, Commentator 

 on Theophrastus.) Calyx of 4 lobes, the upper twice broader, the 

 lower longer; vexillum broad with 2 callcsities near the base of the 

 limb; keel not twisted ; stigma lateral ; legume terete ; seeds not com- 

 pressed.- — Twining herbs. Lvs. pinnatcly trifoliate. 



V. hirsilta Feay. Plant hirsute, the stem retrorsely so ; cal. with 1 bractlet at 

 base, segm. all acute, tho lower acuminate ; lfls. ovat*;-lanoeolate, pointed. — Rice 

 field dams. Savannah (Feay), swamps, N. Orleans (Hale). Sts. scrambling over 

 bushes, many feet long, slender. Lfts. 2 to 3' by J to 1', with scattered, ap- 

 pressed hairs b'^th sides, and minute stipels. Fed. 8 to 12' long, 3 to 5-flowered 

 at the top. Fls, pale yellow, tho banner 6" long and 9" broad. Pods 2' long, 

 with 4 to G large, black, polyhedral seeds. Oct., Nov. (V. glabra Savi? Roli- 

 chos luteolus EU.) 



47. RHYNCHO'SIA, DC. (Or. pvyxo^, a beak ; in reference to the 

 projecting keel.) Calyx somewhat bilabiate, or 4-parted, with the up- 

 per segm. 2 cleft ; vexillum without callosities ; keel falcate ; style 

 glabrous ; legume oblique, short, compressed, 1 to 2-seeded ; seeds 

 carunculate. — Vr Erect, or twining. Lvs, resinous-dotted beneath, pin- 

 natcly 3-foliate, sometimes reduced to a single leaflet Fls. yellow. 



