This section is from the book "An Illustrated Flora Of The Northern United States, Canada And The British Possessions Vol2", by Nathaniel Lord Britton, Addison Brown. Also available from Amazon: An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions. 3 Volume Set..
Fig. 2534
Phaca villosa James, Trans. Am. Phil. Soc. (II.) 2: 186. 1825. Not Nutt. 1818.
Astragalus mollissimus Torr. Ann. Lye. 2: 178. 1826.
Decumbent or ascending, stout, bushy, densely villous-pubescent, °-2° high. Stem very short; stipules membranous, ovate, pointed, 3"-5" long, adnate to the petiole; leaflets 19-27, oval, obtuse, but pointed at the apex, narrowed or rounded at the base, 4"-6" long, 2"-3" wide; peduncles equalling or exceeding the leaves; flowers violet-purple, 8"-12" long, in dense spikes; pod oblong, dry, cartilaginous, glabrous, dehiscent into 2 valves, somewhat compressed, sessile, 2-celled, 5"-10" long, about 3" thick, furrowed at both sutures, slightly curved at maturity.
Prairies, plains and hills, Nebraska to Wyoming, Texas and New Mexico. June. The popular name of the plant is from its poisonous effects on cattle. Rattle-bag weed.
Fig. 2535
Astragalus carolinianus L. Sp. Pl. 757. 1753. Astragalus canadensis L. Sp. Pl. 757. 1753.
Glabrous or slightly pubescent, erect or ascending, branched, 1°-4° high. Stipules membranous, broadly lanceolate, acuminate, 2"-4" long; leaflets 15-31, elliptic or oval, obtuse or slightly emarginate at the apex, rounded at the base, 1'-2' long, 3"-9" wide; peduncles longer than the leaves, or shorter; flowers greenish yellow, 6"-8" long in dense thick spikes; pod oblong, sessile, 2-celled, coriaceous, dehiscent, glabrous, erect, terete, or sometimes slightly furrowed at the dorsal suture, pointed, nearly straight, 5"-8" long.
Along streams, Quebec and Hudson Bay to Saskatchewan, western New York, Georgia, Louisiana, Nebraska and Utah. Canadian rattle-weed. July-Aug.
Fig. 2536
A. adsurgens Pall. Astrag. 40. pl. 31. 1800.
A. striatus Nutt.; T. & G. Fl. N. A. 1: 330. 1838.
Minutely cinereous-pubescent or glabrate, ascending or decumbent, 4'-18' long, simple or branched at the base. Stipules membranous, ovate, acuminate, 3"-5" long; leaflets 15-25, oval to linear-oblong, obtuse and sometimes emarginate at the apex, narrowed at the base, 8"-12" long; peduncles exceeding the leaves; flowers purplish, 6"-8" long, in dense short spikes; pod sessile, 2-celled, oblong, pointed, coriaceous, finely pubescent, erect, dehiscent, cordate-triangular in section, deeply furrowed on the back, 4"-6" long.
Prairies, Minnesota to Manitoba, Keewatin, British Columbia, Kansas, Colorado and Nevada. Also in northern Asia. June-July.
 
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