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Descriptive Flora 



Astragalus austrinus (Small). 

 (Hamosa austrina Small.) 



Similar to Astragalus nuUalUaniis but leaflets mostly 9 to 

 11, elliptical, narrowed at each end (never notched), stems hairy, 

 more slender. Pods hairy (never smooth), smaller, narrower, 

 strongly curved at base. Flowers slightly larger. Not as com- 

 mon. 



Psoralea hypogaea Nutt. Indian bread-root. 



Low hairy plants with palmately compound leaves of 5 

 glanddotted leaflets and globular heads of violet, bonnet-shaped 

 flowers all tufted at the top of a thick globular sometimes oblong 

 root. Leaf -blades on long hairy petioles that come out of the 

 stem close to the ground. Flowers bonnet-shaped, violet or white 

 tinged with blue, in compact globose clusters at the end of hairy 

 stalks as long or longer than the leaf -stalks. Calyx 5-lobed, very 

 hairy. Corolla about y 2 " long. Pods 1-seeded, smooth below, 

 but ending in a slender, hairy beak. Poor, dry, well drained 

 limestone hillsides. March and April. Roots were used for food 

 by Indians. 



Psoralea cuspidata Pursh. 



Similar to Psoralea hypogaea but plant is taller (12 to 18") 

 and more branched. Racemes on stout peduncles. Calyx be- 

 comes inflated with age, developing a shallow pouch on the upper 

 side. Corolla longer (nearly %" long), instead of less than y 2 ". 



Psoralea cypJwcalyx A. Gray. Wand Psoralea. 



Flowers similar to Psoralea cuspidata but this plant has 

 wand-like, often purplish stems, 1 to 2y 2 ' tall, is few-leaved and 

 has 3 leaflets above, and 4 or 5 below. Blossoms later. April, 

 May and June. Usually dry, rocky hillsides. 



Psoralea floribunda Nutt. Wild Alfalfa. 



A bushy plant, 1 to 2' tall, with small gland-dotted leaflets, 

 V 2 to \y 2 long, and many tiny, bluish-purple, bonnet-shaped 



