433 
I 
Sp. 
Cb. 
T. 
leguminibus 
feffilibus ftri&is ere&iufculis fubfalcatis 
acuminatis, 
caule ere£to. 
THE root is annual, long, tapering, whitifh, and fibrous : the ftalk 
is ere£t, round, fmooth, befet with foft hairs, often branched, and 
rifes about two feet in height: the leaves are oblong, obtufe, flightly 
ferrated, of a difagreeable fmell, and Hand in ternaries upon the com- 
mon footftalks, which are placed alternately : the flowers are white, 
and appear in pairs at the alse of the leaves : the calyx is funnel- 
maped, ftriated, covered with white hairs, and divided at the brim 
into five narrow pointed fegments : the corolla is of the papiliona- 
ceous kind, confifting of a vexillum or upper petal, which is oblon 
ered, concave at the bafe, and indented at the apex : two alas or lateral 
petals, which are entire, oval, reflexed, and elongated at the bafe ; a 
carina or under petal, which is fmall, and of an orbicular form : the 
filaments are ten, nine of which are united, and all furnifhed with 
iimple anthers : the germen is fword-fhaped, terminated by a fhort 
tapering ftyle, which is furnifhed with a fimple ftiguia: the pericarpium 
is a long compreffed falcated po4, containing numerous rhomboidal 
X 
feeds, of a brownifh yellow colour. It flowers from June till Auguft. 
This plant is faid to be a native of Montpelier, and to have been 
firft cultivated in Britain by Gerard.* In dry feafons it maturates its 
feeds here very well, and, judging by our own experience, we think 
it might be cultivated to great advantage in this country 4 The feeds 
of Fenugreek are brought to us from the fouthern parts of France 
and Germany, where they are annually fown for the purpofe of 
exportation to different places. 
<< Fenugreek feeds have a ftrong difagreeable fmell, and an un&uous 
farinaceous tafte, accompanied with a flight bitterifhnefs . An ounce 
renders a pint of water thick and flimy. To reclined fpirit they give 
out the whole of their diftinguifhing fmell and tafte, and afterwards 
to water a ftrong flavourlefs mucilage." b 
Hsrt. Kew» 
■ 
% Miller has given diredions for cultivating this plant. JSeeitfft 
b 
Lewis, M. M. p. 304. 
Thefe 
