with a double compact row of subulate curved prickles.—DC. prodr. 2. p.
176; Hook. Brit. Ji. p. 334, <f- compan. to bot. mag. 1. p. 21; Hook. <£ Am.
bot. Beechey, 1. p. 137.
Louisiana, Drummond, Nuttall! California, Beechey. Introduced.—
Plant 1-2 feet long. Leaflets an inch long, emarginate. Peduncles about as
long as the leaves. Flowers small, purplish.
4. M. lupulina (Linn.) : stem procumbent; leaflets obovate-cuneate, toothed
at the apex; stipules lanceolate, acute, nearly entire; flowers spiked ; legumes
reniform, 1-seeded.—Eng. bot. t. 971; Michx.! fl. 2. p. 60 ; Ell. sk.
2. p. 247 ; DC. prodr. 2. p. 172.
Cultivated grounds and waste fields, Canada ! to Florida. Introduced.
June-Aug. Stem 6-12 inches long, pubescent. Flowers small, in roundish
or oblong heads, yellow. Legumes black when ripe.
Besides the: above-described species (all of which have doubtless been introduced
from Europe), M. intertexta and M. nigra occasionally spring up in cultivated
grounds, particularly in the Southern States.
32. HOSACKIA. Douglas; Benth. in bot. reg. sub t. 1257; Hook. jl.
Bor.-Am. 1. p. 134.
Hosackia & Lotus § Microlotus, Benth. in Linn, trims.
Calyx tubular, or somewhat campanulate, 5-cleft or 5-toothed. Yexillum
as long as the spreading wings, often distant from those of the other petals:
keel as long as the vexillum. Style subulate, usually somewhat straight:
stigma capitate. Legume somewhat compressed, wingless.—Herbaceous or
rarely suffrutescent plants (all American).—Leaves pinnate or pinnately tri-
foliolate. Stipules usually very minute, resembling glands, sometimes scari-
ous or foliaceous, but differing in form from the leaflets. Peduncles axillary,
or umbellately 1-3- many-flowered, commonly with a 1-3-foliolate bract below
the flowers.
We have adopted, with some modifications, Bentham’s original views of the
limits of this genus, as given in the Botanical Register. In a subsequent paper in
the Transactions of the Linnsean Society, Mr. Bentham proposes to restrict the genus
Hosackia to the species with umbellate flowers and pinnate leaves; considering
those with 1-flowered peduncles and trifoliolate leaves as a subgenus of Lotus,
which he named Microlotus. The subsequent discovery, however, of several 1-flowered
species with truly pinnate leaves shows a complete transition from Microlotus
to Hosackia, which itself scarcely differs from Lotus except in the stipules. We
adopt the following subdivisions in accordance with the views of our friend Mr.
Nuttall, except that he considers Drepanolobus as forming a distinct genus.
§ 1. Umbels many-flowered: corolla much longer than the c a ly x : vexillum
on a slender claw which is distant from those o f the other petals :
keel obtuse : legume nearly straight, slightly compressed (rarely flat),
not attenuated upwards. Mostly perennial herbs: leaves pinnateli 5-
15- (rarely 3-) foliolate: stipules membranaceous, foliaceous (but very
different from the leaflets) or minute and gland-like.—E uhosackia.
* Stipules foliaceous or scarious.
1. H. bicolor (Dougl.) : glabrous, decumbent; leaflets 7-9, somewhat opposite,
oblong and obovate; stipules cordate-ovate, membranaceous, very ob-
H qsacxia. LEGUMINOSJE. 323
tuse ; umbels 6- 8-flowered; bracts 1-foliolate or none; teeth of the calyx half
as long as the tube.—Benth. in bot. reg. t. 1257, in Linn, trans. 17. p.
364; Hook. fl. Bor.-Am. 1. p. 134; Hook. <$■ Am. bot. Beechey, 1. p. 137.
Lotus pinnatus, Hook. bot. mag. t. 2913.
Low alluvial soils from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific, along the valley
and plains of the Oregon, Nuttall! Douglas. California, Beechey.— If?
Stems spreading, 1-2 feet long. Leaflets often an inch or more in length
and 3-5 lines wide. Stipules about 2 lines long. Flowers yellow, mixed
with white. Legumes 2-24 inches long.—Mr. Nuttall informs us that he
never found this species with bracts.
2. H. stolonifera (Lindl.): glabrous, erect, stoloniferous; leaflets 11-15,
ovate or oblong, mucronate ; stipules ovate, herbaceous ; umbels many-flowered,
capitate; bracts 1-3-foliolate; teeth of the calyx very short. Lindl.
bot. reg. t. 1977.
California, Douglas.— 2f Stem (in the cultivated plant) about 3 feet hi<rh.
Stipules about 2 lines long, acute. Flowers greenish, mixed with purple.
Teeth of the calyx scarcely one-fourth of the length of the tube. Leo-ume
about 2 inches long, glabrous. Embryo sometimes with 3 cotyledons. Lindl.
—The largest species of the genus.
3. H. gracilis (Benth.) : glabrous, decumbent; lower leaflets obovate-cuneate
; stipules large, membranaceous; bracts trifoliolate; calyx somewhat
bilabiate, the teeth half as long as the tube.—Benth. in Linn, trans. Y7.p. 365.
California, Douglas. Moist places around Monterey, Nu tta ll!— l[ Allied
to H. bicolor, but smaller and much more slender. Leaflets about 7 half
an inch Long. Umbels 6- 8-flowered. Vexillum yellow: wings and’keel
pale rose-purple.
4. If. platycarpa (Nutt! mss.): “ slightly pubescent, robust; leaflets 7-9
pairs, mostly opposite, oblong-oval or obovate*; stipules small, cordate-ovate
membranaceous, obtuse; peduncles bracteate with a 2-4-foliolate leaf below
the umbel; calyx truncate, minutely-toothed; legume rather broad and flat.
“ 1 Mountain woods,’ Douglas ; probably the Blue Mountains of the Oregon.—
Legume 2 inches long and nearly 4 inch wide.” Nuttall! This very
distinct species was communicated to Mr. Nuttall by Dr. Gardner of Fort
Vancouver, who obtained specimens of it from the late Mr. Douglas.
5. H. stipularis (Benth.) : stems and petioles hairy; stipules foliaceous
broadly semisagittate; bracts trifoliolate ; teeth of the calyx shorter than thé
tube. Benth. 1. c. p. 365.
California, Douglas.—Plant of the size and habit of H. bicolor. Benth.
6. II. crassifolia (Benth.) : leaflets broadly obovate, somewhat fleshy •
stipules scarious; bracts 3-foliolate; teeth of the calyx very short. Benth. lie
California, Douglas.—Size and habit of H. bicolor, but the flowers smaller.
Benth.
* * Stipules minute, blackish, gland-like.
7. H ocliroleuca (Nutt.! mss.) : “ pubescent, nearly erect; leaves sessile*
leaflets 3-4 pairs, obovate or oblong, alternate ; stipules very minute • umbels'
bracteate with a single sessile leaflet; teeth of the calyx acuminate 'as long
as the tube ; legume subterete.
“ Shady mountain woods near St. Barbara. March-April.— If Plant rather
robust; the young leaves, stem and flower buds almost silky-pubescent
Leaflets nearly an inch long. Flowers ochroleucous, 6-7 lines lono-__Allied
to H. grand lflora, Ben’h.”—Nuttall.
8. H. grandiflora (Benth.): stem slightly pubescent above
7 ; peduncles elongated; bract 1-foliolate, sessile ; teeth of the
; leaflets about
shorter than the tube. Benth. 1. c. p. 366.
calyx scarcely