DIADELPHIA— DECANDRIA. Hippocrepis. 291 



Cal. bell-shaped, permanent, divided, about half way down, 

 into 5 acute, lanceolate segments ; the 2 uppermost 

 shortest, and less deeply separated. Cor. of 5 petals, 

 their claws longer than the calyx; standard heart-shaped, 

 ascending, with a vaulted claw ; wings obovate, obtuse, 

 with flcit broadish claws ; keel of 2 combined petals, 

 rounded, pointed, with very narrow separate claws. Filam. 

 10; 9 united into a tube, open at the upper edge; the 

 tenth quite distinct; all curved upwards at the extremit3% 

 Anth. roundish. Germ, slender, compressed, tapering 

 into an awl-shaped ascending style. Stigma linear, rather 

 flattened, quite smooth. Legume compressed, partly mem- 

 branous, incurved, jointed, notched, separating finally at 

 thejoints, each of which is nearly crescent-shaped, simple 

 or bordered, closed, tumid, containing a solitary, curved, 

 oblong seed. 



Annual or perennial herbs^ larger than the last genus. Leaves 

 pinnate, with an odd leaflet, uniform. Stipulas membra- 

 nous, oblong, undivided. Ft. umbellate, yellow ; in one 

 species solitary. Legumes curiously notched. 



1. H. comosa. Tufted Horse-shoe- vetch. 

 Legumes umbellate, rough ; their joints neither dilated nor 

 bordered. 



H. comosa. Linn. Sp. PI. 1050. Willd.v. 3. 1 159, Fl. Br. 777. 

 Engl. Bot. v.\.t.Z\. Dicks. H. Sicc.fasc. 8. 1 4. Hook. Scot. 216. 



Fervum equinum n. 391. Hall. Hist. v. 1. 170. 



F. equinum Germanicum, siliquis in sumraitate. Bank. Pin. 349. 

 Rail Syn. 325. 



F. equinum comosum. Riv. Tetrap. Irr. t. d7-f. 2. 



F. equinum capitatum. Column. Ecphr. 302. t. 301./. 1. Moris. 

 V.2. ]\8.sect.2. t. 10./. 3. 



Sferra cavallo. Camer. Epit. 642./. 1. 



On dry chalky banks ; sometimes on limestone. 



Plentiful in Kent, Berkshire, Cambridgeshire, at Marham in Nor- 

 folk, and in most chalk countries. 



Perennial. May — August. 



Root woody, running deep into the ground. Stems branched at 

 the bottom, furrowed, leafy, smooth, procumbent, from 6 to 12 

 inches long. Leaflets from 7 to 11, obovate, obtuse or abrupt, 

 very minutely pointed, somewhat fleshy ; smooth above j more 

 or less hairy beneath. Stipulas ovate, entire, alittle spreading. 

 FL about 6 or more together, in umbels, rising high above the 

 rest of the plant, on long, stout, smooth, naked, axillary or ter- 

 rainab stalks. Standard deep yellow, and striated, in front ; 



u 2 



