Baptisia
(from bapto, to dye; so named from the economical use of some of the species). ORD. Leguminosae. North American hardy herbaceous plants, with trifoliate, rarely simple leaves, and racemes of yellowish or blue flowers. They are somewhat shy blossomers, but grow freely in a loamy soil. Propagated by divisions, or, more easily, by seed, which latter may be sown in sand and leaf mould in the open or in pots placed in a cold frame. B. alba (white).* fl. white; racemes terminal. June. l. stalked, glabrous; leaflets elliptic-oblong, obtuse; stipules deciduous, subulate, shorter than the petioles. Branches divaricate. h. 2ft. 1724. (B. M. 1177.) B. australis (southern).* fl. blue; racemes few-flowered, elon-gated, shorter than the branches. June. l. stalked, smooth; leaflets oblong-cuneated, obtuse, four times longer than the petiole; stipules lanceolate, acute, twice the length of the petiole. Stem branched, diffuse. h. 4ft. to 5ft. 1758. (Flora, 1856, 2; B. M. 509.) B. confusa (confused). fl. dark blue, alternate, bracteate; racemes elongated. June. l. stalked, smooth; leaflets oblong-cuneated or obovate; stipules linear-lanceolate, twice the length of the petioles. Stem branched. h. 1ft. to 2ft. 1758.
B. exaltata (exalted).* fl. deep blue; racemes many-flowered, elongated twice the length of the branches. June. l. ternate, stalked; leaflets lanceolate-obovate, five times longer than the petioles; stipules lanceolate, acuminated, three times longer than the petioles. Stem erect, branched. h. 3ft. to 4ft. 1812. (S. B. F. G. 97.) B. leucophaea (dusky-white). fl. cream-coloured; racemes many-flowered, lateral, with the flowers leaning to one side. July. l. sessile, somewhat villous; leaflets rhomboid-obovate; stipules and bracts ovate, acute, broad, leafy. h. 1ft. 1870. (B. M. 5900.) B. minor (less). fl. blue; racemes axillary, bracteate. June. l., leaflets rhomboid-lanceolate; stipules lanceolate, longer than the petioles. Stem erect, solid. h. 1ft. to 2ft. 1829.
B. perfoliata (perfoliate-leaved).* fl. yellow, small, axillary, solitary. August. l. perfoliate, roundish, quite entire, rather glaucous. h. 3ft. 1793. (B. M. 3121.) B. tinctoria (dyers').* fl. yellow, with wings each furnished with a callosity, or lateral tooth; racemes terminal. l. stalked, upper ones nearly sessile; leaflets roundish-obovate; stipules setaceous, almost obsolete. h. 2ft. to 3ft. 1759. (L. B. C. 588.)