rOLYPETALOUS EXOGENOUS PLANTS. 231 



LESPEDEZA. Busn Clover. 



Calyx 2-bracted, 5-cleft ; the teeth subulate ; corolla in- 

 serted on the base of the calyx; stamens diadelphous 

 (9 and 1); anthers alike; legume small, lenticular, inde- 

 hiscent, 1 -seeded. — Perennial lierhs, with trifoliolate leaves, 

 and small axillary racemes or spikes. 



* Flowers of two kinds, viz., perfect, but mostly sterile, borne in sjtikes or racemes, 

 and fertile, but destitute of corolla and stamens ; the latter commonly in 

 sessile dusters; corolla purple, longer than the calyx. 



L. REPENS, Torrey and Gray. Stem slender, prostrate; 

 leaflets small, oval, mostly emarginate, the petiole very 

 short, or as long as the lateral leaflets; racemes few- 

 flowered, on filiform penduncles much longer than the 

 leaves; legume roundish; ^;/«?z^ l°-2° long, smooth or 

 tomentose. 



L. viOLACEA, Pers. Stem erect, spreading; leaflets 

 varying from ellii^tical to linear; pubescent with appressed 

 hairs beneath ; fertile flotvers in axillary clusters ; legume 

 ovate, smooth, or with scattered appressed hairs much 

 longer than the calyx. 



L. Steuvi, Nutt. Stem erect, branching, softly pubes- 

 cent; leaflets oval or roundish, tomentose or silky on both 

 surfaces or only beneath, longer than the petiole; ra- 

 cemes axillary, mostly longer than the leaves; floiuers 

 nearly all perfect; legume longer than the calyx, ovate, 

 villous. 



** Flowers all perfect and fertile ; corolla as long as the calyx, yellowish-white, the 

 vexiUum spotted with purple ; legume included in the calyx. 



L. HiRTA. Stem erect, pubescent or villous; leaflets 

 oval or roundish, longer than the petiole, pubescent be- 

 neath or on both sides; spiJces dense on peduncles longer 

 than the leaves ; calyx-ieQi\i linear-lanceolate, as long as 

 the ovate pubescent legume. Stem 2°-4:° high. 



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