232 FLORA OF TEXAS. 



L. CAPITATA, Michx. Stem mostly simple, softly pu- 

 bescent, erect, 2°-4° high; leaves short-petioled, leaflets 

 varying from oblong to linear, silky on both sides, or 

 only beneath; calyx hairy, longer than the oval villous 

 legume. 



DESMODIUM, DC. Hedysarum, Ell. 



Flowers all perfect; calyx bilabiate; the upper lip 

 emarginate or entire, the lower 3-cleft; corolla inserted 

 on the base of the calyx ; stamens diadelphous (9 and 1) 

 or more or less monadelphous ; legume flattened, 2-6-joint- 

 ed. — Chiefly perennial branching herbs j leaves trifoliolate, 

 petioled, stipulate; the leaflets petioled and stipellate; 

 floiuers small, purple or whitish, in terminal racemes or 

 panicles ; legumes hispid with hooked hairs. 



* stamens monadelphous below ; legumes conspicuously stipitate, fl-4-jointed, the 

 Joints half obovate, concave on the back. 



D. NUDIFLORUM, DC. Ste^u smooth, short, leafy at the 

 summit, panicles ascending from the base of the stem, 

 naked, or with one or two leaves near the base, much 

 longer than the stem; leaves long-petioled, smooth; leaf- 

 lets ovate, acute or obtuse, white beneath; legume long 

 stipitate; racemes simple or compound, on peduncles 

 2°-3° high. 



** stamens diadelphous ; legume sessile or short stipitate; stipules large, acumi- 

 nate, persistent ; legume ZS-jointed, the joints convex on the upper suture^ 

 rounded on the lower one. 



D. ROTU]srDiFOLiUM, DC. Stem long, trailing, hairy; 

 leaflets orbicular pubescent; lobes of the calyx longer than 

 the tube ; legume with 3-4 rather large obtusely 3-angled 

 joints. Stem 2°-3° high. 



D. pakiculatum, DC. Stem slender, mostly smooth, 

 with long and virgate branches ; leaflets varying from ob- 



