DIADELPHIA DECANDRIA 413 



inch long, smoothish ; stipules lance-subulate, nerved, smoothish. Floiters in a 

 terminal erect panicle; branches minutely pubescent ; pedicels slender, about 

 half an inch long; lower bract lance-ovate, acuminate. Calyx smoothish; lower 

 segment longer, acute, the others rather obtuse. Corolla violet-purple. Legum* 

 mostly of 2 or 3 joints (sometimes 1 ), hirsute with short uncinate hairs : joint* 

 semiorbicular, or slightly rounded on the upper margin. 

 Hob. Dry hilly woodlands: frequent. Fl. August. Fr. September— October. 



Obs. This species, so generally known by the name of obtusum, since Willd- 

 cnotc's time, proves to be the true and original marilandictim, of Linrueus (* foli- 

 olis subrotundis. &c") ;— -as I am assured by my highly-valued friend and corres- 

 pondent, Dr. Boott, of London,— who has obligingly compared our Desmodiums 

 with those in the Herbariums of Linnaus, Pursh, and others, in that City. 



3. D. ciliare, DC. Stem erect, rather slender, pilose ; leaves some- 

 what crowded, on short hairy petioles ; leaflets small, ovate or oval, 

 obtuse, 6ubcoriaceous, ciliate, and pilose with appressed hairs ; stipules 

 subulate-linear, ; racemes paniculate, terminal ; legumes with 2 or 3 

 semiorbicular hispid joints. Beck, Bot. p. 84. 



Hcdysarum ciliare. Willd. Sp. 3. /;. 1196. Pers. Si/n. 2. p. 322. 

 Muhl. Catal. p. 66. Puvsh, Am. 2. p. 482. Nutt. Gen. 2. p. 109. 

 Bart. Phil 2. p. 79. Ell. Sk. 2. p. 212. Torr. Comp. p. 2fc8. Eat. 

 Man. p. 166. 

 Fringed Desmodiux. 



Root perennial. Stem about 2 feet high, rather slender, angular-striate, hairy 

 and minutely rough ish-puberulent, mostly simple, paniculate at summit. Leaflets 

 half an inch to an inch long, and 1 third to 2 thirds of an inch wide, ovate, or 

 elliptic, obtuse, often subcordate at base, thickish and subcoriaceous, ciliate, and 

 pilose on both sides with appressed hairs ; cotmnon petioles 1 fourth to near half 

 an inch long, very hairy; stipules lance-linear or subulate, nerved, and pilose. 

 Flowers in terminal paniculate racemes ; branches clothed with a roughish uncin- 

 ate pubescence ; pedicels roughish-pubescent; lower fcracJlance-ovale, acuminate 

 pilose and ciliate. Calyx pubescent. Corolla violet-purple. Legume of 2 or 3 

 joints (sometimes one), hispid ; joints semi-orbicular, or obliquely oval or obovate, 

 more or less rounded or convex on the upper margin. 



Hub. Sterile old fields ; Mica-slato hills : frequent. Fl. Aug. Fr. Sept— Octo. 

 Obs. Collected by D. Townsend, Esq,, in 1833. This has considerable resem. 

 blance to the preceding; but may be distinguished by its pubescence, its smaller 

 and more coriaceous leaflets, and especially by the very short hairy petioles. 

 There is a variety, however, with longer petioles, and larger thinner leaflets ;— 

 which may, perhaps, be the var. oblongifolium, of Elliott,— and Bccms to be inter 

 mediate between this and the following. 



4. D. moiDUtt, DC. Stem erect, roughish-pubescent; leaflets ovate- 

 oblong, rather obtuse, reticulate, ciliate, scabrous above, pilose and can- 

 escent beneath, the terminal one longer ; stipules ovate-lanceolate, acu- 

 minate, ciliate; racemes paniculate, erect, very long; legumes with 2 

 or 3 semiorbicular, or oval, hispid joints. DC. Prodr. 2. p. 330 

 Hcdysarum rigidum. Ell. Sk. 2. p. 215. Eat. Man. p. 167. 

 Rigid, oh stiff Desmodium. 



Whole plant subcanescent. Root perennial. Stem 2 to 3 feet high, striate 

 clothed with a roughish uncinate pubescence, paniculate at summit, often with 



numerous long erect branches. Lea/lets 1 to 3 inches long, and half an inch to an 



35* 



