Spec. Char., i^-c. Leaflets roundish-elliptic, re tu se. Racemes drooping, few-
flowered. Callosities o f standard papilliform. Legumes ra th e r coriaceous,
pubescent. (D o r is M ü l.) A branchy shrub. Nepal. Height 3 ft. to
l e f t . Flowers yellow ; August and September. Legume re d d ish ; ripe in
October.
T h e leaflets are small, and, being more imperfectly developed than in any o f
th e o th e r kinds, give it a singular appearance.
G e n u s X V I I .
ri STR A'G A LU S Dec. T h e M i l k V e t c h .
Decándria.
L in . Syst. Diadelphia
Identificatimi. Dec. .Astrag., N o . 5. ; P ro d ., 2. p. 291. ; D o n ’s MilL, 2. p. 2.53.
Synonyme. .tstrSgalu.s sp. o f L in . an d o th e rs ; Astragalo, Fr. ; T ra g a n t, Ger. ; A stra g alo , Ita l.
De rivation. F rom astragalos, a v e r te b ra ; th e seeds in th e legumes o f some species being squeezed
in to a squarish form, so as to look som eth in g lik e th e jo in ts of th e backbone ; o r, p e rh a p s , from
aster, a star, an d g a la , milk. I t is also th e n am e given to a sh ru b by G re ek w rite rs .
Gen. Char. Calyx S-toothcd. Keel obtuse. Stamens diadelphous. Legume
biloculivr or half-bilocular, from th e upper su tu re being b e n t in so much.
(D o n ’s M ill.)
Leaves compound, a lte rn a te, stipulate, d e c id u o u s ; p in n a te : petioles p e rmanent.
Flowers in th e only hardy ligneous species purplish or white.
— Shrubs, low ; natives o f th e So u th o f E u ro p e and Asia.
tL 1. ri. 7 ’r a g a c a ' n t h a L . T h e G oat’s -Thorn Milk V e tch , or Great Goat’s
Thom.
Identification. L in . Sp., 1073, ; Woodv. Med. B o t., 276. t. 98. ; Wa ts. D e n d . B rit., 84.
S y n o n ym e . A . massiliénsis L am . Dict. 1. p. 320., Dec. A s tr . No. 96., D im 's MiU. 2. p. 2GG.
E n g ra v in g s . P a ll. A s tr., t. 4. f. 1, 2. ; D u h . A rb ., 2. t. 100. ; Woodv. Med. B o t., 276. L 98. ; W a ts.
D end. B rit., t. 84. ¡ an d o u r flg . 405.
Spec. Char., S;«- P eduncles usually 4-flowered,
about equal in length to th e leaves. Calyxes
cylindrical, with 5 sh o rt blu n t te e th . Leaves
with 9— 11 pairs o f elliptic hoary leaflets.
(Doris MUl.) A low prickly glaucous shrub,
with sub-persistent leaves, and p e rsisten t petioles.
Marseilles and Narbonne, in sandy
places, as well as Corsica and Mauritania.
H eight 6 in. to 1 ft. In tro d u ced in 1640.
Flow e rs purplish or white ; May to July.
Legumes tomentose, brown ; ripe in September.
General aspect whitish.
4 0 5 . á4strág a lu s T r a g a c á n th a . T h e flowers are disposed on axillary peduncles,
so sh o rt as to p revent them from
being a t all conspicuous above th e leaves. Afte r th e leaflets drop off, th e
petioles become indura ted, so as to give th e plant the appearance o f being
densely covered with spines. Pro p ag a ted by seeds, which it sometimes
ripens in England, o r by cuttings. I t requires a dry soil, and a sunny
situation ; and is well adapted for rock-work.
Other ligneous Species o f Astragalus.— A. altàieus Lodd. C ab .; A . aristàtus
L ’H é rit. Stirp. 170., with yellow flowers, which is figured in B o t. Cab.
t . 1278., and oiir_^g. 406. ; A. brevifòlius, with a purplish flower, figured in
B o t. Cab. t. 1388., and o u r 407. ; and A. massiliénsis Lam., which is
probably a variety o f ri. TVagacántha with white flowers instead o f purplish
406. z4stràgalus a ris tà tu s . 407. 44strágalus brevifòlius.
ones, are in British c o lle ctio n s; but, though technically ligneous, are usualli
treated as rock herbaceous plants.
S e c t . I I I . H T e d y s a ' r e æ ,
G e n u s X V I I I .
C O RO N I L L A Neck. T h e C o r o n i l l a . L in . Syst. Diadelphia Dccandi'ia.
Identification. Ne ck. E lem ., No. 1319. ; Lam. 111., t . 630. : D e c . P i jd ., 2. p 309
Synonyme. C o ro n illa sp. of L in . an d o th ers.
Derivation. F rom corona, a crown ; in re feren ce to th e disposition o f th e flowers in crowns or
umbels, a t th e tops o f th e pedunc les.
Gen. Char. Calyx campanulate, short, 5-toothed, th e two superior te e th approximate,
and joined together higher up than th e re st. Claws o f petals
usually longer th an th e calyx. Carina acute. Stamens diadelphous. Legume
nearly terete, slender, a t length separating into oblong 1-seeded jo in ts. Seeds
ovate or cylindrical. (Doris M ill.)
Leaves compound, alternate, stipulate, deciduous ; impari-pinnate. Flowers
in axillary peduncles, bearing a t th e ir tops umbels o f pedicellate flowers,
usually yellow.— Shrubs, deciduous or sub-evergreen; natives o f th e South
o f E urope or Asia.
They are all highly ornamental, and most o f them produce seeds in England,
by which, or by cutting.s, they are easily propagated in common soil.
* 1 . C. E 'm e r u s L . T h e Scorpion-Senna Coronilla.
Identification. L in . Sp., 1046. ; Dec
39.;D o n P rod., 2 .p .„,.,^ ., ’os Mill., 2. p. 274.
fiynonymes. E 'm e ru s m 5jor Mill. Icon.
t. 132. f. 1., an d E . nainor, f. 2 . ; C.
^pauciflbra L am . Fl. F r.
h n s ra v in g s . B o t. Mag., t . 445. ; N. D u
Ham., 4. t. 131. ; an d o u r^ /? . 408.
Spec. Char., Sfc. Shrubby, glabrous.
Its leaves are a tten d ed
by minute stipules, and
have 5—7 obovate leaflets.
Its flowers are yellow, disposed
3 upon a peduncle. The
claws o f th e petals are thrice
as long as th e calyx. The
legume is ra th e r cylindrical
than compressed, and its