nately disposed in a very long dense spike ; bracts nearly as long as the calyx,
deciduous ; calyx bracteolate, the upper lip 2-cleft, the lower denticulate or
entire ; legumes oblong, flattish, very densely woolly, 4-5-seeded.— Willd. !
spec. 3. p. 1029 ; Pursk.'fl. 2. p. 468, t. 21; Nutt.! gen. 2. p. 93 ; E ll.! sJc.
2■ P- 191; E C .! prodr. 2. p. 410; Agardh! 1. c. p. 41. L. pilosus,
Walt. ! Car. p. 180 ; Miclix. ! ft. 2. p. 56, not of Linn. L. integrifolius,
Desrouss. in Lam. diet, not of Linn.
0* diffusus : stems more decumbent and diffuse ; leaves shorter, oval, or
somewhat oblong-obovate, and, with the petioles and stems, densely sericeous
but scarcely tomentose ; bracts (especially the uppermost) much shorter than
the calyx.—L. diffusus, Nutt. ! gen. 1. c. &f mss.; Ell. 1. c.
In sandy barrens, N. Carolina! to Florida ! common. March-April__
Stems leafy towards the base, short. Leaflet (articulated with the petiole)
3—5 inches long (in /?. 2—3.inches) obtuse or alittle attenuate at the base, about
the length of the petioles, and, with the stipules and stems, very densely silky-
villous when young ; when old, losing a portion of the long hairs. Stipules
adnate at the base ; the free portion often an inch or more in length. Flowers
large, on very short pedicels, in a crowded pedunculate spike 6-12 inches in
length. Lips of the very silky calyx rather shorter than the corolla. Legume
an inch or more in length, very thickly clothed with long woolly hairs,
tipped with the persistent style. Seeds small, roundish, mottled.—Although
Mr. Nuttall, who has had the opportunity of examining the two plants in a
living state, still considers his L. diffusus a distinct species, yet our numerous
specimens exhibit a manifest gradation from the L . diffusus, Nutt, to the largest
and most lanuginous states of L. villosus. The corolla is stated by Nuttall
to be “ reddish purple, and variegated, with,a dark spot or cloud in the cen- ,
tre of the vexillum” in L. villosus ; and “ blue with a paler greenish spot on
the vexillum” in L. diffusus. The bracts in the former are subulate-filiform
from a broad base, very woolly, and rather longer than the flower-buds ; in
the latter the lowermost are nearly similar, but those at the summit of the
spike are much shorter and only mucronate, -
T ribe VIII. SOPHOREiE. DC.
Sophorea; & Podalyrieae, Benth.
Corolla papilionaceous. Stamens 10, d is tin c t: anthers uniform.
Legume continuous, or frequently moniliform, but not jointed. Embryo
incurved or inflexed, or often straight.—Leaves unequally pinnate,
palmate, or simple, not stipellate.
Mr. Bentham has established the Tribe Podalyrieae, to include those Sophorese
of De Candolle that have simple or palmately compound leaves, the radicle incurved
or inflexed, and the legumes dehiscent; restricting the former tribe to
those with unequally pinnate leaves, mostly straight embryo, and indehiscent
legumes. The distinction is doubtless just; but, since of our three genera of
true Sophorese, the first two (viz: Sophora and Cladrastis) have the radicle
curved or bent, the second and third (Cladrastis and Cercis) have dehiscent
legumes, and the latter has simple leaves, we think it better not to make the
division in the present work. The true Sophora® are mostly trees or shrubs,
and the Podalyrieae almost wholly herbaceous plants.
1. Leaves palmately 3-foliololate or simple: radicle incurved or in-
Jlexed : mostly herbs. (Podalyrieae, Benth.)
48. BAPTISIA. Vent. gen. nov. p. 9 ; R. Br. in hort. Kew. (ed. 2.) 3.
p. 6 ; Ell. sic. 1. p. 467 ; Benth. comm. Leg. gen. p . 2.
Calyx campanulate, 4-5-cleft at the summit, somewhat bilabiate, persistent.
Vexillum rather shorter than the wings or about the same length,
orbicular, emarginate, the sides reflexed: wings oblong: keel slightly incurved,
nearly as long as the wings ; the petals somewhat united. Stamens
deciduous. Ovary stipitate: ovules numerous: style slightly incurved,
attenuate-subulate : stigma minute. Legume by abortion mostly few-seed-
ed, stipitate, inflated.—Perennial herbs (all North American), with simple or
palmately 3-foliolate leaves. Stipules distinct, often small or caducous.
Flowers large, in terminal racemes (often opposite the leaves), or sometimes
axillary and solitary : pedicels (except in a single species) ebracteolate.
§ 1. Leaves simple.
1. B. perfoliata (R. Brown) : very glabrous ; leaves orbicular or somewhat
oval, perfoliate,' glaucous; flowers axillary, solitary (pale yellow) ;
legumes large inflated.— R. Br. in hort. Keio. 3. p. 5 ; Ell. sic. 1 . p. 467 ;
D C .! prodr. 2. p. 100 ; Hook. hot. mag. t. 3121. Crotalaria perfoliata, Linn,
spec. 2. p. 714. C. perfoliata; folio, &c. Dill. E lth .f. 122. Sophora perfoliata,
Walt.! Car.p. 135. Rafnia perfoliata, Willd. spec. 3. p. 949. Poda-
lyria perfoliata, Michx.! fi. 1. p. 263 ; Pursh! fl. 1. p. 207.
Dry sandy soil, S. Carolina ! and Georgia ! May-July.—Stem sparingly
branched. Flowers small. Seeds very small.—A singular species. The
perfoliate leaves would seem to consist of the leaf and stipules coalescent
into a single body. .
2. B. microphylla (Nutt.) : leaves simple, sessile, roundish-cuneiform;
the upper ones somewhat clasping ; stipules roundish ; flowers axillary, solitary
; legumes short, subglobose. Nutt, in jour. acad. Philad. 7. p. 97.
West Florida and the contiguous parts of Alabama.—Much branched.
Leaves scarcely an inch in length, and of about the same width, cuneate at
the base, where they are approached by the round leafy stipules. Near the
summit of the stem, one of the stipules, and sometimes both, coalesce in the
leaf, and thus present an amplexicaule base to the foliage. Peduncles short.
Legumes conspicuously stipitate. Nuttall.—The -flowers are unknown, and
the plant is described from the winter vestiges.
3. B. simplicifolia (Croom) : glabrous; leaves sessile, broadly oval or
ovate, obtuse, shining above, somewhat glaucous beneath; stipules none ;
racemes elongated ; bracts ovate, about the length of the pedicels, persistent
(flowers yellow) ; legumes small, ovate.—Croom! in Sill. jour. 25. v- 74
(1833) ; Nutt. ! in jour. acad. Philad. 7. p. 96. ,
Quincy, Middle Florida, Mr. Croom! Dr. Chapman! June-Sept.—
Plant 2-3 feet high, turning black in drying. Stem angled, striate, branched
above. Leaves somewhat coriaceous, 3-4 inches long and 2-3 wide. Racemes
4-6 inches long ; the flowers rather crowded, a little larger than those
of B. tinctoria. Pedicels shorter than the flowers. Calyx 4-cleft; the upper
segment 2-toothed. Ovary minutely caneseent. Legumes about half an
inch long : stipe scarcely exserted.
§ 2. Leaves palmately 3-foliolate.
4. B. lanceolata (E ll.): minutely pubescent or nearly glabrous; stem