§ 1. Stipules subulate-setaceous; bracts minute; calyx-lobes attenuate; perennial.
[*] Flowers of two sorts, the larger (violet-purple) perfect, but seldom fruitful, panicled or clustered; with smaller pistillate and fertile but mostly apetalous ones intermixed or in small subsessile clusters; calyx 1–2´´ long; pod exserted.
1. L. procúmbens, Michx. Slender, trailing and prostrate, minutely appressed-hairy to soft-downy; leaflets oval or obovate-elliptical, 3–9´´ long; peduncles very slender, few-flowered; keel equalling the wings; pod small, roundish, obtuse or acute. (Incl. L. repens, Bart.)—Dry sandy soil; common.
2. L. violàcea, Pers. Stems upright or spreading, slender, branched, rather sparsely leafy and sparingly pubescent; leaflets thin, broadly oval or oblong, finely appressed-pubescent beneath; peduncles very slender, loosely few-flowered, mostly longer than the leaves; flowers 3–4´´ long, the keel often the longest; pod ovate, 2–3´´ long, nearly glabrous.—Dry copses, N. Eng. to Minn. and E. Kan., south to Fla. and La.
3. L. reticulàta, Pers. Stouter, erect, very leafy; leaflets thickish, linear to linear-oblong, 6–15´´ long, finely appressed-pubescent; flowers (scarcely 3´´ long) clustered on peduncles much shorter than the leaves, the keel shorter than the standard; pods ovate, acute, 2´´ long, appressed-subpubescent. (L. violacea, var. angustifolia, Torr. & Gray.)—Mass. to Minn., and southward.
4. L. Stùvei, Nutt. Stems upright-spreading, very leafy, simple or somewhat branched, downy with spreading pubescence; leaflets oval or roundish varying to oblong or rarely linear-oblong, silky or white-woolly beneath and sometimes above; flowers as in the last, often numerous and crowded; pods ovate, acuminate, mostly 3´´ long, downy.—Mass. to Mich., and south to Va. and Tex.
Var. intermèdia, Watson. Pubescence more scanty and usually fine and appressed as in n. 3, but the leaflets oval to oblong; inflorescence often more open; pod of n. 4 or of n. 3. (L. violacea, var. sessiliflora, of Man., mainly.)—Mass. to Fla., and west to Mich., Ill., E. Kan., and Ark.
[*][*] Flowers all alike and perfect, in close spikes or heads; corolla whitish or cream-color with a purple spot on the standard, about the length of the downy 5-parted calyx; pod included; stems upright, wand-like (2–4° high).
5. L. polystàchya, Michx. Stem with mostly spreading pubescence; petioles 2–6´´ long; leaflets from orbicular to oblong-ovate, hairy; spikes oblong, on elongated peduncles; pod (at maturity) oblong-ovate, pubescent, nearly 3´´ long, hardly shorter than the calyx. (L. hirta, Ell.)—Dry hills, common.
6. L. capitàta, Michx. Stems rigid, woolly; petioles very short; leaflets oblong to narrowly oblong, thickish, reticulated and mostly smooth above, silky or sometimes downy beneath; heads of flowers globular, on peduncles shorter than the leaves; pod oblong-ovate, pubescent, much shorter than the calyx.—Dry and sandy soil, N. Eng. to Fla., west to Minn., Mo., and La.
7. L. angustifòlia, Ell. Like the last, but mostly appressed-silky, the leaflets linear, the smaller often oblong heads on distinct and sometimes slender peduncles, the pod round-ovate, acutish, 1½–2´´ long, hardly shorter than the calyx. (L. capitata, var. angustifolia, Pursh.)—N. J. to Fla., west to Mich., Iowa, and La.
8. L. leptostàchya, Gray. Clothed with appressed silky pubescence; stems often branched, slender; leaflets linear to narrowly oblong; spikes slender, somewhat loosely-flowered, on peduncles as long as the leaves; pod ovate, small (1½´´ long), about equalling the calyx, densely pubescent.—Ill., Iowa, and Minn.
§ 2. Stipules and bracts broad and scarious; calyx-lobes broad; annual.
L. striàta, Hook. & Arn. Diffusely branched, decumbent, subpubescent; petioles very short; leaflets oblong-obovate, 6´´ long or less; peduncles very short, 1–5-flowered; pod small, little exceeding the calyx.—Common in the Southern States, extending into Mo. (Nat. from E. Asia.)
29. STYLOSÁNTHES, Swartz.
Calyx early deciduous; tube slender and stalk-like; limb unequally 4–5-cleft, the lower lobe more distinct. Corolla and monadelphous stamens inserted at the summit of the calyx-tube; standard orbicular; keel incurved. Anthers 10, the 5 longer ones fixed near their base, and the 5 alternate shorter ones fixed by the middle. Style filiform, its upper part falling off after flowering, the lower part incurved or hooked, persistent on the 1–2-jointed small and short reticulated pod; the lower joint when present empty and stalk-like.—Low perennials, branched from the base, with wiry stems, pinnately 3-foliolate leaves, the sheathing stipules united to the petiole, no stipels, and small, yellow flowers in terminal heads or short spikes. (Name composed of στύλος, a column, and ἄνθος, a flower, from the stalk-like calyx-tube.)
1. S. elàtior, Swartz. Tufted; leaflets lanceolate, strongly straight-veined; heads or clusters small and few-flowered.—Pine barrens, Long Island and N. J. to Fla., west to S. Ind., Kan., and Ark.
30. VÍCIA, Tourn. Vetch. Tare.
Calyx 5-cleft or 5-toothed, the 2 upper teeth often shorter, or the lowest longer. Wings of the corolla adhering to the middle of the keel. Stamens more or less diadelphous (9 and 1); the orifice of the tube oblique. Style filiform, hairy all round or only on the back at the apex. Pod flat, 2-valved, 2–several-seeded. Seeds globular. Cotyledons very thick, remaining under ground in germination.—Herbs, mostly climbing more or less by the tendril at the end of the pinnate leaves. Stipules half-sagittate. Flowers or peduncles axillary. (The classical Latin name.)
[*] Annual; flowers 1 or 2 in the axils, nearly sessile, large, violet-purple.
V. satìva, L. (Common Vetch or Tare.) Somewhat pubescent; stem simple; leaflets 5–7 pairs, varying from obovate-oblong to linear, notched and mucronate at the apex; pod linear, several-seeded.—Cultivated fields and waste places, N. Eng. to N. J. and southward, west to Mich. and Minn.—Var. angustifòlia, Seringe, has longer and narrow leaflets. (Adv. from Eu.)
[*][*] Annual, slender; peduncles elongated; flowers small.
V. tetraspérma, L. Peduncles 1–2-flowered; leaflets 4–6 pairs, linear-oblong, obtuse; calyx-teeth unequal; corolla whitish; pods narrow, 4-seeded, smooth.—Waste places, near the coast, N. Scotia to N. J. (Nat. from Eu.)
V. hirsùta, Koch. Peduncles 3–6-flowered; leaflets 6–8 pairs, truncate; calyx-teeth equal; corolla bluish; pods oblong, 2-seeded, hairy.—N. Brunswick to Mass. and Va. (Nat. from Eu.)
[*][*][*] Perennial; peduncles elongated; calyx-teeth unequal; pod several-seeded.
1. V. Crácca, L. Downy-pubescent; leaflets 20–24, oblong-lanceolate, strongly mucronate; spikes densely many-flowered, 1-sided; flowers blue, turning purple, 6´´ long, reflexed; calyx-teeth shorter than the tube.—Borders of thickets, Newf. to N. J., west to Ky., Iowa, and Minn. (Eu.)
2. V. Caroliniàna, Walt. Nearly smooth; leaflets 8–24, oblong, obtuse, scarcely mucronate; peduncles loosely-flowered; flowers small, more scattered than in the preceding, whitish, the keel tipped with blue; calyx-teeth very short.—River-banks, Ont. and N. Y. to Ga., west to Minn. and Kan.
3. V. Americàna, Muhl. Glabrous; leaflets 10–14, elliptical or ovate-oblong, very