44. LESPEDEZA. Michx. fl. 2. p. 70, t. 39 4-40.
Calyx with 2 persistent bracteoles at its base, deeply 5-cleft; the segments
linear-lanceolate or subulate, nearly equal, the two upper ones sometimes
more or less united. Corolla inserted into the base of the calyx : vexillum
roundish or oblong, somewhat unguiculate, more or less appendiculate at the
base by the inflexed margins: wings nearly straight, as long as the keel,
often auriculate at the base on one side, and, as well as the very obtuse
slightly curved keel-petals, on slender claws. Stamens diadelphous (9 &
1 ): anthers uniform. Style filiform : stigma capitate. Legume lenticular,
mostly flat, small, reticulated, unarmed, indehiscent, 1-seeded.—Perennial
herbs or suffrutescent plants, with pinnately trifoliolate reticulated leaves.
Stipules setaceous or subulate : stipelles none. Flowers in axillary pedunculate
spikes or racemes, and often with other apetalous and imperfect but
fertile ones, mostly in subsessile glomerules. Bracts minute, 3 together, 1-
2-flowered.
§ 1. Flowers of two lands, viz : perfect, although seldom maturing fr u it; and
fertile hut mostly destitute of stamens and petals; the latter either on the
same few-flowered peduncles, or in subsessile glomerules : calyx slightly bila-
Mate, the 2 superior segments often united at the base: corolla violet and
purple, longer than the calyx: stems diffuse, procumbent, or erect.—
Eulespedeza.
The fruit, in this section, is chiefly produced by the apetalous flowers, which are
small and commonly escape notice until the legumes are formed. The style, in
these flowers, is short and hooked, as in Amphicarpaea and other analogous cases;
and by this character the two kinds of legumes may be distinguished. The ovary
is not naked, as in Stylosanthes, Chapmannia, and other genera of this tribe, but is
surrounded by a calyx, and the rudiments of petals and filaments may sometimes be
detected. A knowledge ofthis circumstance will render our species much better un.
erstood than formerly. Authors have sometimes described the calyx from the apetalous
flowers, where it is mostly smaller, which has caused some discrepancies. Little
reliance is to be placed upon the degree of union of the two upper segments of the
calyx: in L. repens and L. procumbens they are sometimes united almost to the tip,
and again distinct nearly to the base. 1
1. L. procumbens (Michx.) : tomentose-pubescent throughout except the
upper surface of the leaves, prostrate ; the branches assurgent; leaflets oval
or elliptical, mostly retuse, the uppermost often obovate; peduncles axillary,
simple, elongated, sometimes a little paniculate at the extremity of the
branches, few-flowered; apetalous flowers occupying the lower peduncles,
and also often subsessile in the axils of the lower leaves ; legumes minutely
pubescent, nearly orbicular.—-Michx. ! fl. 2. p. 70, t. 39 ; Pursh ! fl. 2. p.
481 ; Nutt. ! gen. 2. p. 108 ; Ell. sic. 2. p. 408 ; DC. ! prodr. 2. p. 350 ;
Darlingt.! fl. Cest. p. 422. Hedysarum repens, Willd. ! sp. 3. p. 1200. H.
Lespedeza, Poir. diet, ex DC.
Sandy soil, Massachusetts ! to Florida! and Louisiana. Aug.-Sept.—
Stems several from the same root, 2-3 feet long, very densely pubescent with
soft spreading hairs. Petioles of the lower leaves as long as the leaflets;
those of the branches often very short. Corolla purple tinged with violet. L e-
gumes pubescent, about 1J line in length and almost as wide as long.—We
have never observed a 2-jointed legume in this species.
2. L, repens : prostrate or diffusely procumbent, minutely pubescent with
closely appressed hairs, or nearly glabrous ; leaflets oval or obovate-elliptical,
glabrous above, the uppermost emarginate or somewhat obcordate ; petioles
mostly very short; peduncles axillary, filiform, simple, few-flowered; the
lower ones (sometimes short) bearing apetalous flowers; legumes minutely
pubescent, nearly orbicular.—L. repens, Bart, prodr. fl. Philad. ? L. prostrata,
Pursh, l. e .; Nutt. ! 1. c .; D C .! 1. c .; Hook. fl. Bor.-Am. 1. p.
156. Hedysarum repens, Linn.! spec. (ed. 1.) 2. p. 749 (pi. Gronov.!),
ed. 2. p. 1056, excl. syn. Dill. Elth. H. prostratum, Willd. ! 1. c.
Dry sandy soil (Upper Canada, ex Hook.), New Jersey! to Georgia!
west to Kentucky! and Louisiana! Aug-Sept.—Stems several from the
same root, often simple, very slender. Legumes as in the preceding species;
from which it scarcely differs except in the kind and degree of the pubescence,
the rather smaller flowers, and more slender habit. The very short petioles
are not wholly constant, and equally exist in some states of L. procumbens.
—Hedysarum repens of Linnasus was founded entirely upon the Virginian
plant, and not upon Dill. Elth. t. 142, ƒ. 169 (a Ceylonese Desmodium), as
has been supposed ; for the reference to Dillenius only makes its appearance
in the second edition of the Species Plantarum, and Virginia is the only
habitat given : hence we have restored the original specific name.
3. L. violacea (Pers.): stem erect or diffuse, pubescent, branching; leaflets
varying from oval-oblong to linear, hairy or canescent with appresed pubescence
beneath, equalling or longer than the petiole; racemes axillary,
few-flowered, sometimes shorter than the leaves, and sometimes in part ex-
serted on slender peduncles; apetalous flowers glomerate and subsessile in
the axils of the leaves ; legumes minutely pubescent with short appressed
hairs, or nearly glabrous, ovate, much longer than the calyx.—Pers. syn. 2.
p. 318 ; Pursh! 1. c. Hedysarum violaceum, Linn. ! spec. 2. p. 749 (excl.
syn. Gronov. !); Willd. ! 1. c. H. frutescens, Linn. ! 1. c. (pi. Gronov.!)
a. diver gens : peduncles toward the extremity of the branches filiform and
much longer than the leaves, the flowers rarely producing fruit; leaflets oval
or oblong.—L. divergens, Pursh! l.c .; DC. 1. c. Hedysarum divergens,
Willd. ! l.c. ' -
/?• sessiliflora: flowers somewhat glomerate on peduncles much shorter
than the leaves ; those at the base chiefly apetalous and fertile ; leaflets oblong
or elliptical.—L. sessiliflora, Michx. 1. c. (partly); Pursh ! 1. c. ; Nutt.
1. c. ; DC. 1. c .; Ell. 1. c. ; Darlingt. fl. Cest. p. 420. Hedysarum violaceum,
Linn. ! in part; Willd,! 1. c. (Varies'with the leaflets slightly pubescent
and almost tomentose beneath.)
y. angustifolia: peduncles short; the flowers glomerate toward the extremity
of the branches; petioles slender, mostly erect; leaves much crowded above
and fascicled on short branchlets ; leaflets narrowly oblong or linear.—L.
reticulata, Pers. 1. c. ; Nutt. ! 1. c. ; DC. ! 1. c. ; Darlingt. l.c. L. sessiliflora,
partly, Michx.! 1. c. L. angustifolia, Darlingt. 1. c. ed. 1. L. frutescens,
DC. 1. c., not of Ell. Hedysarum reticulatum, Willd. ! 1. c. H.
junceum, Walt. Medicago Virginica, L in n .! 1. c. (pi. Gronov.!) (Varies
with the leaves somewhat hairy beneath to canescently tomentose.)
Borders of woods and thickets, Canada! and Northern States ! to Florida!
and Louisiana! Aug.-Sept.—The Hedysarum violaceum of Linnaeus includes
both L. divergens and L. sessiliflora, and to the same species L.
reticulata must certainly be referred. In comparing the size of the legume
with the calyx, it should be remembered that the petaliferous flowers in this
species seldom perfect fruit, and that the calyx of the apetalous ones is
smaller. The narrow-leaved variety is perhaps always erect.
4. L. Stuvei (Nutt.): stem nearly erect, branching, tomentose-pubescent;
leaflets oval or roundish, pubescent or silky-tomentose, longer than the