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TrifoliUxM Lupinaster. Lupine Trefoil. 



Clafs and Order. 



DlADELPHIA DECANDRIA. 



Generic Character. 

 Flores fubcapitati. Legumen vix calyce longius, non dehifcens, 

 deciduum. 



Specific Charatler and Synonyms. 

 TRIFOLIUM Lupinafter ; capitulis dimidiatis, foliis quinatis 

 feffilibus, leguminibus polyfpermis. Sp. PL 

 1079. Willi, 3. p. 1357. Hort. Up/. 223. 

 TRIFOLIUM leguminibus polyfpermis, foliis pluribus. Gmel. 



Sib. 4. p. 19. /. 6. /. 1. 

 LUPINASTER. Buxb. in Nov. Comment. Petrop. 2. p. 345. 

 /. 20. Amm. Ruth. n. 143, 144. 



Our drawing, being taken from a fpecimen which grew in 

 a pot, reprefents the plant of a much fmaller fize than ufual ; 

 for when planted in the open ground it grows to the height of 

 a foot and a half, and has larger leaves, is alfo branched and 

 bears a number of heads of flowers on longer peduncles. 

 The flowers growing from one fide of the flattened end of the 

 peduncle give the head a criftated appearance, forming what 

 Linnaus calls capitulum dimidiatum ; but in a more vigorous 

 growth, the extremity of the peduncle turning further round, 

 the head becomes globular, and the above appearance is con- 

 fined to the more early (late of the flowering. In habit this 

 fpecies approaches very near to the Tri folium rumens, the 

 leaflets being very fimilar, except that they appear entirely feflile, 

 from the membranous flipule running the whole length of the 

 peduncle and clofely embracing the (tern. It is a Angular de- 

 viation from the reft of the genus that it bears for the moft 

 part five, rarely fix or feven leaflets upon one footflalk, nor 

 can the two lower ones, as fometimes happens in Lotus, be 

 well confidered as enlarged ftipules. The feed-pods are repre- 

 fented by Buxbaum as very long, but in our plant they are 

 contained within the decayed remains of the flower, as defcribed 

 by Amman. Raifed from Siberian feeds by Mr. Loddiges 

 of Hackney, but has feveral times been in our gardens before; 

 is faid in the Hortus Kewenfis to have been firft introduced by 

 Mr. James Gordon in 1763, and we faw it in the late Dr. 

 Pitcaikn's collection in 1789. It has a fufiform root and is 

 but little difpofed to produce offsets ; hence if care is not taken 

 to preferve the feed, of which very little will ufually ripen with 

 us, it muft be liable to be foon loft. Is perfe&ly hardy. 



