240 FLORA OF TEXAS. 



and oval hilum. — Twining herbs, with trifoliolate leaves and 

 axillary racemose ^o?6"er5. 



D. MULTIFLORUS, Torr. and Gray. Pubescent ; leaflets 

 thin, large orbicular, abruptly acute; rrtcewies shorter than 

 the leaves, many and densely flowered at the summit of the 

 stout peduncle ; upper lip of the crt/^/a; entire; keel nearly 

 straight; legume 4-5-seeded. Leaflets 3'-G' in diameter; 

 stem 5°-10° long ; flowers purple ; perennial 



BAPTISIA, Vent. 



Calyx campanulate, 4-cleft ; the upper lobe broader and 

 mostly emarginate ; vexillum roundish, with the sides re- 

 flexed ; wings and keel straight ; stamens 10, distinct, 

 shorter than the wings, deciduous ; legume stipitate, oval 

 or oblong, inflated, few-seeded, pointed with the persistent 

 style. — Erect, widely branching, perennial herbs ; leaves 

 simple or palmately trifoliolate, withering-persistent; 

 stipules deciduous or persistent, rarely wanting ;^o?6'er5 

 showy in terminal racemes, rarely axillary and solitary. 



B. PERFOLiATA, Brown. Leaves perfoliate, oval, or or- 

 bicular, glaucous ; stipules none ; floivers axillary, solitary ; 

 legume small, ovate, coriaceous ; stem 2° high ; leaves 2-3' 

 long ; flowers small, yellow ; vexillum orbicular, emargi- 

 nate ; ovary and style smooth. 



** Leaves trifoliolate, peltate. 

 + Flowers yellow. 



B. LANCEOLATA, Ell. Pubescent when young, at length 

 smoothish ; leaves on very short petioles, the upper ones 

 nearly sessile ; leaflets varying from lanceolate to obovate, 

 thick, obtuse, tapering at the base: stipules and bracts 

 small and caducous ; floivers large, solitary in the axils, 

 and in short terminal racemes, short-pediceled : ovary vil- 

 lous ; legume ovate or globose, coriaceous, slender-pointed. 

 Stem r high ; leaflets l'-2' long. 



