2  j  8       .  Poisonous  Species  of  Astragalus.  { 
the  California  rattle  weed  might  probably  belong  to  it.  Of  this  genus, 
DeCandolle's  Prodromus  enumerates  130  species,  which  are  chiefly 
found  in  the  tropical  and  subtropical  regions  of  both  the  eastern  and 
western  hemispheres.  Several  East  Indian  species,  like  Crotalaria 
quinquefolia,  retusa,  verrucosa,  Lin.,  and  others  are  reported  as  possessing 
emetic  properties,  the  bitter  tasting  leaves  being  usually  employed.  One 
species,  Crotalaria  sagittalis,  Lin.,  is  found  in  barren  sandy  soil  through- 
out the  greater  part  of  the  United  States  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Mis- 
sissippi ;  and  two  other  somewhat  larger  species,  C.  ovalis,  Pursh,  and 
C.  Purshii,  D.  C,  grow  in  similar  localities  from  North  and  South 
Carolina  to  Florida.  All  three  are  commonly  known  as  rattle-box,  and 
appear  to  be  confined  to  the  North  American  continent  ;  at  least  neither 
of  them  is  mentioned  among  the  15  species  which  Grisebach  enumer- 
ates as  being  indigenous  and  naturalized  in  the  British  West  Indian 
Islands.  Several  species  of  Crotalaria  are  natives  of  Mexico,  but  none 
is  found  in  California.  The  rattle-weed  of  that  State  belongs  to  the 
genus  Astragalus,  of  which  Prof.  A.  Gray  says  that  in  California  the 
species  have  the  reputation  of  being  poisonous  to  sheep,  which  would 
be  most  unexpected  were  it  not  that  several  Papilionaceae  of  Australia 
are  known  to  be  so. 
Astragalus  crotalarise,  Gray. — This  is  most  likely  Dr.  Gibbons' 
plant,  and  is  described  in  the  "  Botany  of  California,"  vol.  i., 
p.  149,  as  follows:  "Glabrous  or  slightly  pubescent,  or  the  young 
parts  sometimes  villous ;  stems  erect  or  nearly  so,  two  or  three 
feet  high,  usually  stout ;  leaflets  from  oblong-linear  to  obovate  oval, 
or  slightly  obcordate,  thickish  (from  a  quarter  to  a  full  inch  long)  j 
stipules  triangular  and  distinct  ;  calyx-teeth  subulate,  about  half 
the  length  of  the  short  campanulate  tube  ;  corolla  white  ;  pod  of 
rather  parchment-like  texture,  but  much  inflated,  ovoid,  an  inch  to  an 
inch  and  a  half  in  length.  Far.  Virgatus,  Gray. — Stipules  more  subu- 
late, racemes  virgate  and  loose,  four  to  ten  inches  long  ;  calyx-teeth 
subulate-setaceous  and  longer.  Hills  and  plains  from  around  San 
Francisco  Bay  to  Santa  Barbara,  Cal.,  the  variety  about  San  Francisco 
Bay." 
It  belongs  to  the  sub-genus  Pbaca  which  has  a  one-celled  pod,  and 
to  the  section  inflati  the  legume  being  inflated. 
Astragalus  mollissimus,  Torr. — Through  the  kindness  of  Dr. 
