PA PI LION A CEA E. 551 



Pod grooved on the lower side, glabrous. 19. A. distortus. 



Pod obovate in section, membranous, sessile in the calyx ; flowers purple. 

 Erect ; raceme elongated ; peduncles much exceeding the leaves. 



20. A. elegans. 

 Decumbent ; raceme short ; peduncles only slightly exceeding the leaves. 



21. A. Bodini. 

 Pod flattened, grooved on the lower side, membranous, stalked. 



Pod pubescent, slightly grooved, 19 mm. long ; flowers white or purple. 



22. A. Robbinsii. 

 Pod pubescent, deeply grooved on lower side, 12 mm. long ; flowers violet. 



23. A. alpinus. 



1. Astragalus crassicarpus Nutt. Ground Plum. (I. F. f. 2125.) Ap- 

 pressed-pubescent; branches decumbent or ascending, 1.5-4.5 dm. long. Stipules 

 ovate, acute, 4-6 mm. long; leaflets 15-25, oblong, elliptic or sometimes obovate, 

 obtuse, narrowed at the base, 6-12 mm. long; flowers violet-purple, 16-18 mm. 

 long, in short racemes; pods sessile, thick, short-pointed, 17-25 mm. in diameter. 

 Prairies, Minn, to Manitoba, the N. W. Terr., Iowa, Colo, and Tex. Fruit edible, 

 collected by prairie-dogs for their winter store. April-June. 



2. Astragalus Mexicanus A. DC. Larger Ground Plum. (I. F. f. 2126.) 

 Similar to the preceding, but less pubescent and with the hairs somewhat spread- 

 ing. Leaflets 17-33, oblong to obovate, obtuse or emarginate, narrowed at the 

 base; flowers yellowish-white, or purplish at the tip, 18-25 mm - l° n g> * n short 

 racemes; pod sessile, thick, globose, 2.5-3 cm. in diameter. Prairies, 111. to S. 

 Dak., Ark. and Tex. Fruit edible. May. 



3. Astragalus Plattensis Nutt. Platte Milk Vetch. (I. F. f. 2127.) 

 Villous-pubescent, prostrate or ascending, 1.5-2.5 cm. high or long. Leaflets 

 13-29, oblong to obovate, obtuse, narrowed at the base, 9-18 mm. long; stipules 

 broad, ovate, pointed, 6-9 mm. long; flowers yellowish-white or tipped with pur- 

 ple, about 18 mm. long, in short heads; pod sessile, pointed, smooth, loosely 

 pubescent, nearly straight. Prairies, Ind. to Minn., S. Dak., Ala. and Tex. 

 May. 



4. Astragalus Tennesseensis A. Gray. Tennessee Milk Vetch. (I. F. 

 f. 2128.) Villous with long whitish hairs. Leaflets 15-31, oblong or linear-ob- 

 long, obtuse or emarginate, nearly glabrous above, 12-21 mm. long; stipules lan- 

 ceolate, oval or ovate-lanceolate; racemes short, several-many-flowered ; flowers 

 about 2 cm. long; pod strongly wrinkled, at least when dry, its summit curved. On 

 hillsides, Tenn. to Ala. and Mo. March-May. 



5. Astragalus mollissimus Torr. Woolly Loco-weed or Crazy-weed. 

 (I. F. f. 2129.) Bushy, 3-6 dm. high. Stem very short; stipules membranous, 

 ovate, pointed, 6-1 1 mm. long, adnate to the petiole; leaflets 19-27, oval, obtuse, 

 but pointed at the apex, 9-13 mm. long; flowers violet-purple, 18-25 mm - l° n g? i n 

 dense spikes; pod oblong, glabrous, somewhat compressed, sessile, 10-21 mm. 

 long, about 6 mm. thick, furrowed at both sutures, slightly curved at maturity. 

 Plains, Neb. and Colo, to Tex. and N. Mex. June. The popular name of the 

 plant is from its poisonous effects on cattle. 



6. Astragalus Carolinianus L. Carolina Milk Vetch. (I. F. f. 2130.) 

 Glabrous or slightly pubescent. 3-12 dm. high. Stipules membranous, broadly 

 lanceolate, acuminate, 4-9 mm. long; leaflets 15-31. elliptic or oval, obtuse or 

 slightly emarginate at the apex, rounded at the base, 2.5-5 cm. long; flowers 12-17 

 mm. long in dense spikes; pod sessile, coriaceous, erect, or sometimes slightly fur- 

 rowed at the dorsal suture, pointed, nearly straight, 10-17 mm. long. Along 

 streams, Hudson Bay and Quebec to the Rocky Mts., south to Vt., W. N. Y., Ga., 

 La. and Colo. July-Aug. 



7. Astralagus adsurgens Pall. Ascending Milk Vetch. (I. F. f. 2131.) 

 Minutely cinereous-pubescent or glabrate, ascending or decumbent, 1-2 dm. long. 

 Stipules membranous, ovate, acuminate, 6-11 mm. long; leaflets 15-25. oval to 

 linear oblong, obtuse and sometimes emarginate, narrowed at the base, 16-25 mm. 

 long; peduncles exceeding the leaves; flowers purplish, 12-17 mm - l° n g> * n dense 

 short spikes; pod sessile, oblong, pointed, coriaceous, erect, cordate-triangular in 

 section. 9-13 mm. long. Plains. Minn, to the N. W. Terr., Br. Col., Kans. and 

 Colo. Also in northern Asia. June-July. 



