C. JMarylandica. L. Wild Senna. Stem 3 — 4 feet high,
erect, branched, smooth, with pinnate leaves in 8 or 9 pairs of
leafets ; large yellow flowers in axillary racemes, almost a panicle
towards the summit; narrow, compressed legume ; blossoms in
June, grows on banks of streams, or in moist places, in open
fields. Medicinal. See Bigelow’s 11 Medical Botany.”
Two other species, chamcecrista, L ., and nictitans, L ., are
smaller and handsome plants, of little consequence.
C rotalaria. L. 15. 10.
Calyx 5-parted, sublabiate, lower lip 3-cleft; large cordate
standard ; united filaments, and swollen, inflated legume.
C. sagittalis. L . Rattle Box. Stem a foot high, erect,
branched, variable pubescence ; simple oblong-lanceolate leaves,
with decurrent stipules ; 3-flowered racemes opposite the leaves,
and yellow corolla; seeds rattle in the inflated, mature legume ;
blossoms in June, grows in dry grounds and sandy woods.
G enista. Lam. 15. 10.
Calyx 2-lipped, upper 2-parted, lower 3-toothed or 5-di-
vided ; standard oblong-oval, and keel straight; stamens in one
set, with a flat legume.
G. tinctoria. L. Dyer’s Weed. This plant yields a fine
yellow color, and may have probably been introduced ; somewhat
shrubby ; stem a foot high, much branched, and the upper
part covered with small, yellow, nearly sessile flowers ; leaves
lanceolate smooth ; blooms in July ; has covered the hills south
of Salem. Big.
M edicago. L. 15. 10.
J\S. lupulina. L. Nonesuch. Introduced, and found in fields
about Boston ; said to be useful as fodder for sheep ; stem procumbent
; flowers in racemed spikes, with yellow petals ; legumes
reniform ; fields, June to August.
M . scutellata. L. Cultivated in gardens for its beauty ;
matting on the ground ; legume twisted in a spiral form, like a
flat snail-shell. There may be other species cultivated, which are
less common.
L upinus. L. 15. 10.
Stamens all united ; legume leathery, swelling at the seeds ;
calyx deeply 2-lipped ; keel acuminate.
L. perennis. L. Common Lupine. Sun Dial. Perennial,
often growing in splendid clusters ; stem a foot or more high,
erect, hairy, bearing large blue flowers, in a fine raceme or spike ;
leaves digitate, 8 or 9 leafets, oblong, mucronate, villous beneath ;
blossoms in May, in the light soil of open woods. It has
long been cultivated for ornament in gardens. To it have been
added several other species, exotics, within a few years ; as
L . albus, L ., the white-flowered lupine; L . hirsutus, L ., the
rough-leaved with blue flowers; L. roseus, L ., the red-flowered;
and L. luteus, L ., the yellow.
P haseolus. L. 15. 10.
P. trilobus. Mx. Bean Vine. Stem prostrate, twining,
somewhat hairy and scabrous ; 2 — 3-lobed ovate leafets ; peduncles
bear a head of flowers ; banner spreading, reddish-white,
keel slightly twisted, and tipped with purple ; legumes linear ;
blossoms in July ; South Boston. Woods. Stamens diadelphous.
Used by Indian doctors as a cooling, sedative, antibilious tonic.
Lindley.
Several species of Phaseolus are cultivated for the beans, and
are of great consequence.
P. nanus. L. Bush-bean. Several varieties. The small
white field-bean is a great favorite.
P . vulgaris. L. Pole-bean. Many varieties, of which the
kidney-bean is fine.
P. lunatus. L. Lima-bean. A very rich seed, requiring long
and warm summers, and favorable exposure, to ripen.