( 453 .) 
ASTRAGALUS* * * * § . 
Linnean Class and Order. Diadf/lphia f, Deca'ndrIA. 
Natural Order. Legumino's.e, Juss. Gen. PI. p. 345. — Sm. 
Gram, of Bot. p. 174. — Lindl. Syn. p. 75. ; Introd. to Nat. Syst. of 
Bot. p. 87. — Rich, by Maegilliv. p. 532. — Sm. Engl. FI. v. iii. p- 
259. — Loud. Hurt. Brit. p. 509. — Don’s Gen. Syst. of Gard. and 
Bot. v. ii. p. 91. — Mack. FI. Hibern. p. 73. — Hook. Brit. FI. (4th 
edit.) p. 404 . — Legumina'ceje, Loud. Arb. Brit. p. 561 . — Papi- 
lionac'e.e J, Linn — Rosales; sect. Cicerin/E, subsect. Lo- 
tiaNje ; type, Lotacf.A\ ; subtype, Lotida; ; Burn. Outl. of Bot. 
pp. 614, 638, 642, & 644. 
Gen. Char. Calyx (fig. 1.) inferior, tubular, permanent, with 
5 acute teeth, the lower ones gradually longest. Corolla (see fig. 2.) 
papilionaceous, of 5 petals ; standard (fig. 2.) egg-shaped, blunt, 
upright, longer than the rest ; wings (see fig. 2.) oblong, somewhat 
half egg-shaped, shorter than the standard; keel (fig. 3.) as long 
as the wings, rounded in front, of 2 united petals, with separate 
claws. Filaments (see fig. 4.) 10; 9 united in one compressed 
lube, open above; the tenth hair-like, usually shorter, quite sepa- 
rate. duikers roundish. Germen oblong, compressed. Style 
(see figs. 4 & 5.) awl-shaped, ascending, smooth. Stigma blunt. 
Legume (see figs. 6 & 7.) variously shaped, more or less tumid, of 
2 longitudinal cells ; the partition double, more or less complete, 
from the lower suture being turned inwards. Seeds (fig. 8.) one 
or more, kidney-shaped. 
The blunt keel of the corolla ; the 2-celled, or partially 2-celled, 
legume, with the margins of the lower suture turned inwards; will 
distinguish this from other genera, with diadelphous stamens, in 
the same class and order. 
Three species British. 
ASTRA'GALUS HYPOGLO'TTIS§. Tongue-under-tongue. Milk 
Vetch. Purple Milk Vetch. Purple Milk-wort. Purple Cock’s- 
llead. 
Spec. Char. Stems prostrate, rather hairy. Leaflets slightly 
emarginate. Legumes egg-shaped, upright, capitate, hairy ; their 
cells 1-seeded. 
Engl. Bot. t. 274 — Linn. Maut. v. ii. p. 274. — Willd. Sp. PI. v. iii. pt. ii. p. 
1285. — Sm. FI. Brit. v. ii. p. 779. ; Engl. FI. v. iii. p. 294. — With. (7th ed.) v. iii. 
p. 849. — Gray’s Nat. Arr. v. ii. p. 608. — Litidl. Syn. p. 78. — Hook. Brit. FI. p. 325. 
— Do Cand. Prod. v. ii. p. 281. — Don’s Gen. Syst. of Gard. and Bot. v. ii. p. 253. — 
Macr. Man. Brit. Bot. p. 56. — Sibth. FI. Oxon. p. 227. — Thomps. PI. of Berw. p. 
74. — Relh. FI. Cant. (3rd cd.) p. 297. — Hook. FI. Scot. p. 217. — Grev. FI. Ediu. 
p. 159. — Johnst. FI, of Berw. v. i. p. 161. — Winch’s FI. ofNortbumb. and Durham, 
Fig. 1. Calyx and Bractea. — Fig. 2. Corolla, with the Calyx and Bractea. — 
Fig. 3. Keel. — Fig. 4. Keel, with the Stamens and Pistil. — Fig. 5. Germen, Style, 
and Stigma. — Fig. 6. Legume. — Fig. 7. Transverse section of Legume. — Fig. 8. Seed. 
* From astragalos, Gr. the vertebra ; in allusion to the knotted root of that 
individual plant to which it was formerly applied. 
•f See folio 77, note -}-. t See folio 117, note t. 
§ From hypo, Gr under ; and qtotta, Gr. a tonque ; in reference to the shape 
of the Legumes. 
