Willd. Sp. PI. v. iii. pt. li. p. 1317. — Sin. Engl. FI. v. iii. p. 29G. — With. (7th ed.) 
v. iii. p. 851. — Hook. FI. Scot. p. J17. — A. sordidus, Willd. Sp. l’l. v. iii. pt. n. 
p. 1313, with erroneous remarks. — /l. uralensis, FI. Dan. t. 1041. — Astragalus 
acaulos,foliis peracutis, calyce et fructu villoso, Hall. Hist. Helv. p. 507. t. 13. 
Localities.— On highland rocks in Scotland; very rare. — Forfarshire; On 
a rock on one of the mountains at the head of Clova, near the While Water, in 
great abundance: Mr. G. Don. Kocks on the left side of Glen Dole (towards 
Glen Phu ?), almost facing a person when turning from Glen Clova to Glen 
Dole: Mr. H. C. Watson, in N. B. G. 
Perennial. — Flowers in July. 
Root woody, long, and slender. Stem none. Leaves all radi- 
cal, pinnate, stalked ; leaflets numerous, from 8 to 12 pairs, with 
an odd terminal one, all uniform, elliptic-spear-shaped, pointed, 
entire, usually besprinkled with silky shining hairs, but sometimes 
quite smooth, except the mid-rib. Stipulas large, egg-shaped, 
pointed, simple, entire, membranous, veiny, hairy at their margins, 
united in pairs to the base of each petiole. Scape ( flower -stalk) 
hairy, about equal in length to the leaves, ascending, sometimes 
decumbent, bearing from about 8 to 12 flowers in a close, oblong, 
or somewhat egg-shaped, spike, or head ; each flower accompanied 
by a spear-shaped, hairy, somewhat membranous braclea at its 
base (see figs. 1 & 9). Calyx (see fig. 1.) tubular, longer than its 
accompanying bractea, clothed with dense, close, black as well as 
white hairs, its teeth short, and sometimes tipped with brown. 
Corolla (see fig. 2.) cream-coloured, or buff ; the keel (fig. 5.) and 
wings (fig. 4.) tinged with purple. Legume (fig. 8.) somewhat egg- 
shaped, inflated, with a straight point, covered, like the calyx, with 
short, spreading, black as well as white hairs. 
An elegant little plant, growing from 3 to 6 inches high. It is 
a native of Europe, on the Alps, but was not known as a native of 
Britain until Mr. G. Don discovered it, in the Summer of 1812, in 
great abundance, in the locality recorded above. 
The Natural Order Leguminosa; is composed of dicotyledonous trees, 
shrubs, or herbaceous plants. Their leaves are alternate, mostly compound 
and pinnated, with a pair of stipules at the base of each petiole. J he t lowers 
are either axillary or terminal, and are disposed in racemes or panicles, rarely 
solitary. The calyx is inferior, either tubular and 5-toothed, or more or less 
deeply cut into 5 unequal segments. The corolla consists of 5 petals, or by 
abortion of only 4, 3, 2, 1, or none, inserted into the base of the calyx, and is 
eilher papilionaceous or regularly spreading; the odd petal (fig. 3.) posterior. 
The stamens (fig. 6.) are various, usually 10, and are either distinct, or mona- 
delphous, or diadelphous. The ovary (fig. 7.) is simple, superior, 1-celled, and 
1- or many-seeded. The style is simple and thread-shaped , proceeding from 
the top of the upper suture of the ovary, and crowned by a terminal or lateral 
stigma. The legume (figs. 8 & 9.) is usually 2-valved, membranous, coriaceous, 
rarely fleshy or drupaceous, dehiscent or indehiscent. The seeds are attached to 
the upper suture of the legume, and are either solitary or several, usually oval, 
or kidney-shaped, and hang by various shaped funicles (little stalks), which 
sometimes, though rarely, expand into an aril lus ; embryo eilher straight or with 
the radicle bent upon the cotyledons; albumen none ; cotyledons either remain- 
ing under ground in germination, or elevated above the ground, and becoming 
green like leaves. 
The British Genera in this order are — U'lex , t. 93. — Genista , 
t. 84. — Spdrtium ( Cy'tisus , Hook.), t. 77. — Ononis , t. 289. — 
Anthy'llis, t. 397. — Mcdicdgo, t. 329. — Melildtus, t. 363. — Tri- 
fdlium, t. 283. — Lotus, t. 249. — Oxy'tropis, t. 495. — Astragalus, 
t. 453. — Ormthopus, t. 358. — Hippocrepis, t. 369. — Onubrychis, 
t. 134. — Vicia, t. 173. — E'rvum, t. 322. — Ldthyrus, t. 117. — 
Pisum, t. 225.— O' robus, t. 433. 
