PAPIL10NACE7E. 



213 



1. Purple Astragal. Astragalus hypoglottis, Linn. (Fig. 264.) 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 274.) 



A low, slightly hairy perennial, the 

 stem prostrate, branching at the base, 

 2 to 5 or 6 inches long. Stipiiles free 

 from the leafstalk, bnt more or less 

 united together on the opposite side of 

 the stem. Leaflets usually in 10 to 12 

 pairs with an odd one, 2 or 3 lines long. 

 Flowers of a bluish-purple, in short 

 spikes, on long axillary peduncles. Calyx 

 sessile, erect, about 3 lines long, more 

 or less downy with short black hairs. 

 Standard near 3 times as long as the 

 calyx. Pod shortly stalked within the 

 calyx, ovoid, erect, hairy, seldom 6 lines 

 long, and completely divided by a longi- 

 tudinal partition into 2 cells, usually 

 with only one seed in each cell. 



On dry hilly pastures, in central and 

 northern Europe, Russian Asia, and northern America, but not an 

 Arctic plant. In Britain, chiefly in eastern, central, and northern 

 England, and southern Scotland; in Ireland, only indicated on the 

 south islands of Arran on the west coast. Fl. summer. 



Fig. 264. 



2. Alpine Astragal. Astragalus alpinus, Linn. (Fig. 265.) 



(Eng. Bot. Suppl. t. 2717.) 



A small, prostrate, slightly hairy per- 

 ennial, the stems branching at the base, 

 a few inches or rarely nearly a foot long. 

 Stipules slightly connected with the 

 leafstalk, but quite free from each other. 

 Leaflets 8 to 12 pairs, with an odd one, 

 ovate or oblong. Flowers drooping, of 

 a bluish-purple, or white tipped with 

 purple, in short close racemes, on rather 

 long peduncles ; the calyx little more 

 than 1 line ; the corolla about 5 lines 

 long, with petals broader in proportion 

 than in the purple A. Pod pendulous, 

 about 6 lines long, on a stalk about the 



length of the calyx, covered with short 



Fig. 265. 



