Columbia, on the West side of the Rocky Mountains. Douglas.—I possess the Asiatic A. adsurgens and A.
Laxmanni from Dr. Fischer and Mr. Prescott; but I am unable to distinguish them specifically. Our specimens
from America seem to be identical with them. Flowers purple-blue.
5. A. Labradoricus; caulescensj procumbens, foliolis ovatis pubescentibus, spicis
pedunculatis, leguminibus secundis rectis utrinque acuminatis pendulis. Ph.—De Cand.
Prodr. v. 2. p . 287.—A. secundus. Mich. Am. v. 2. p. 67. Pursh, FI. Am. v. 2. p. 473.
(not De Cand.)
Hab. North of Canada. Michaux. Labrador. Colmaster, (in Pursh.)—The flowers are described as
purple. With the imperfect characters of this plant given in Michaux and Pursh, it is impossible to say
whether it ought not to be referred to some well known-species.
6. A. melanocarpus; incano-sericeus, caulibus brevibus decumbentibus, stipulis ovatis
acutis, foliolis 8-10-jugis ovalibus utrinque acutis nunc obovatis obtusis, racemis capitatis
laxis 6-8-floris folio longioribus longeque pedunculatis, floribus patentibus, leguminibus
patentibus elliptico-oblongis coriaceis subunilocularibus nigro-fuscis rugosis.—A. melano-
carpon. “ Frazer’s Cat.” Rich, in Frankl. Joum. ed. 2. App. p. 28.—A. Missouri-
ensis? Nutt. (excl. syn. A. argentata, Pursh.)
Radix lignosa, subfiisiformis, sublonge descendens, parce ramosa. Caules plurimi, decumbentes, breves,
3-4> uncias longi, suffruticosi, superne pnecipue incani, foliosi. Folia subdigitem louga; foliolis 8-10-jugis,
plerumque oppositis, 3-5-linearibus utrinque petioloque pilis numerosis brevibus sericeis appressis, incanis,
nitidis, ovalibus, utrinque acutis, nunc obovatis, obtusis. Pedunculus folio longior, incanus. Racemus ovalis,
laxus, 5-9-florus; floribus majusculis cseruleo-purpurascentibus albisque. Bractece lanceolato-subulafee,
pedicellis brevibus longiores. Calyx oblongus, pilis albidis appressis subsericeus, dentibus subulatis tubo
subdimidio brevioribus. Vexillum carina alisque longius. Legumen patens, unciam longum, ovali-oblongum,
subcompressum, coriaceum, transversim rugosum, marginatum, nigro-fuscum, breviter acuminatum, demum
glabrum, fere omnino uniloculare, polyspermum, sutura paululum infWa,
Hab. Plains of the Saskatchawan, and Eagle and Red-Deer hills of the same river. Dr. Richardson;
Douglas; Drummond.—Dr. Richardson doubts if the A. Missouriensis of Nuttall be the same with this
plant. The description in many respects accords; but the calyx is said to be clothed with black hairs; and in
pur specimens the suture of the legumen is so little introflexed, that they seem to have as strong a claim to
be ranked with Phaca as with Astragalus. The species is an exceedingly beautiful one: the flowers being
of a deep purplish-blue, varied with white; the leaflets sometimes, as in Mr. Douglas’ specimens, about the
size, and of the shape, of the leaves of Thymus vulgaris; at other times, as in Mr. Drummond’s specimens,
twice or thrice that size, always thickly clothed with soft silky hairs.
7. A. caryocarpus; multiceps, prostrato-assurgens, pilis appressis subhirtus, stipulis
ovatis acutis, foliolis 9—12-jugis ellipticis, pedunculis folio brevioribus, racemis capitatis
laxis, “ leguminibus nuciformi-inflatis rugosis mucronatis glabris polyspermis.”—».
calycibus dense pubescenti-hirsutis. A. caryocarpus. Ker in Bot. Reg. 1. 176. De Cand.
Prodr. v, 2. p . 287.— “ A. crassicarpus. Fraser’s Cat. 1813.”—A. carnosus. Nutt. Gen.
v. 2. p. 100. (non Purshii.)—p. calycibus appresso-pilosis subsericeis, pilis raris nigris.
A. succulentus. Rich, in Frankl. ls£ Joum. ed. 2. App. p . 29. Linctt. in Bot., Reg. t. 1324.
Hab. Hilly grounds of the Saskatchawan, especially about Carlton-House. Dr. Richardson; Drummond;
Douglas.—Possessing as I do, from Mr. Nuttall, an original specimen of A caryocarpus, ( A. carnosus,
Nutt.), and of the A. succulentus, from my valued friend Dr. Richardson, I am compelled to say
that they are not specifically distinct. Nor can I find any difference between them, except that in the true
LEGUMINOSAI. 151
A. caryocarpus the calyx is more thickly hairy than in A. succulentus : hence I have been led to mark them
as varieties. I do not, indeed, possess the fruit of either; that of the former is well known, however; and Mr.
Lindley has observed of the latter; “ Its fruit is not certainly known. We suspect it to be of the same
nature as that of A. caryocarpus: at least, there is, in Mr. Douglas’ collection, a fruit of such a kind,
which does not appear to belong to any other of his species.” This certainly goes far towards proving that
the fruit is also alike in the two.
f t Leguminibus curvatis.
8. A. succumbens ; ubique hirsutus, caule procumbente flexuoso ramoso, stipulis parvis
oblongo-acuminatis, foliolis 5-jugis obovatis, pedunculis folio brevioribus, racemis capitatis
subovalibus, floribus (majusculis) patentibus laxis, stipulis lineari-subulatis pedi-
cello brevissimo longioribus, calycibus pilis laxis hirsutis, leguminibus (biuncialibus)
lineari-lanceolatis nitidis glabris falcatis hinc carinatis illinc profundissiine et subcondu-
plicatim sulcatis bilocularibus polyspermis.—Douglas, MSS. in Herb. Hort. Soc.
Hab. On the barren grounds of the Columbia, and near the Wallawallah River, North-West America.
Douglas.—Flowers large, purple and white. The legumes are very remarkable: when spread open, they are
broadly lanceolate, but there is, on one side, a deep sulcus, so that a transverse section represents the letter V.
9. A. diaphanus; prostratus, diffusus, piloso-scaber, stipulis parvis ovatis acuminatis,
foliolis 5-9-jugis obovatis, pedunculis folio brevioribus, floribus (parvis) capitatis laxis,
bracteis ovatis acuminatis minutis pedicello subbrevioribus, leguminibus subreflexis
linearibus compressis falcatis subdiaphanis glabriusculis bilocularibus polyspermis.__
Douglas, MSS. in Herb. Hort. Soc.
Hab. Abundant on sandy soil near the Great Falls of the Columbia.—Flowers small, scarcely more
than half an inch long, “ purple,” fading, when dry, to nearly white. Legumes scarcely an inch long, much
flattened laterally, and falcate; when mature subdiaphanous if held between the eye and the light.
10. A. lentiginosus; prostratus, glabriusculus, stipulis parvis ovatis acutis, foliolis 8-
jugis obovatis, pedunculis folio brevioribus, floribus— ? leguminibus ovatis acuminatis
membranaceis sursum curvatis basi inflatis bilocularibus glabriusculis.—Douglas, MSS.
in Herb. Hort. Soc.
Hab. Subalpine ranges of the Blue Mountains of North-West America. Douglas.—The flowers of this
do not appear to have been seen by Mr. Douglas; but the fruit is very remarkable, and, as its discoverer
observes, considerably resembles that of A. tuberculosus, a native of Syria and Cappadocia.
11. A. injlexus; diffusus, prostratus, ubique villosissimo-tomentosus, caule flexuoso,
stipulis. majusculis ovatis acuminatis, foliolis 9-10-jugis ellipticis acutiusculis obovatisve
obtusi?, peduncplis folii longitudine, racemis laxis late ovalibus, pedicellis brevibus,
bracteis longis subulatis calycem membranaceum asquantibus, leguminibus ovato-acumi-
natis depressis-bilocularibus tomentosis sursum insigniter curvatis.—Douglas, MSS. in
Herb. Hort. Soc.
Hab. On the barren sandy grounds of the Columbia, from the junction of Lewis and Clarke’s River to
the mountains. Douglas. Whole plant, except the large purple corollas, woolly, with long lax hairs. Calyx
long, cylindrical, with slender, wavy, subulate teeth, nearly as long as the corolla. Legumes an inch long,
ovate, and tapenng a little at the base, but much more at the extremity, into a sharp point; compressed, (but
by no means flat,) and curved upwards, so as to be almost doubled, like the letter U; with a shallow, but
broad furrow below. The calyx is very thin and membranaceous, bursting when the fruit is ripe.