312 DIADELPHIA— DECANDRIA. Lotus. 



question from the same ^'^very dry flinty gravelly natural pas- 

 ture," at Ufton, near Reading, where the larger variety of the 

 minus J with its succulent brittle stem, retained all its diversity of 

 habit, and remained constant when propagated by seed. Still 

 there is no positive specific character. Cattle and sheep are so 

 fond of this variety, that it can scarcely be gathered in any 

 pastures to which they have access. 1 have not heard the result 

 of the experiments made upon it for cultivation. 



:W. LOTUS. Bird's-foot-trefoil. 



Linn. Gen. 388. Juss. 356. Fl. Br. 793. Tourn. t. 227. Lam. 

 i. 611. G(Ertn.t.\5?>. 



Cal. tubular, with 5 direct, acute, nearly equal teeth, per- 

 manent, unchanged. Cor. of 5 petals, deciduous ; stand- 

 ard obovate, ascending, with a broad vaulted claw ; wings 

 oblong, obtuse, shorter than the standard, converging at 

 their upper edges ; keel of 2 united petals, protuberant 

 underneath, closed above, with an ascending point, and 

 narrow, short, distinct claws. Filam, 10; 9 in one split 

 compressed horizontal tube, the separate portion of each 

 erect, a little dilated towards the top ; the tenth capillary, 

 distinct. Anth. small, roundish. Germ, cylindrical, ra- 

 ther compressed. Style ascending at a right angle, thread- 

 shaped. Stigma simple. Legume cylindrical, straight, 

 simple or winged, much longer than the calyx, of 2 valves, 

 and 1 cell, separated, by more or less of a spongy sub- 

 stance, into several, spurious or incomplete, cells, each 

 lodging a globular, or somewhat cylindrical, seed. 



Annual or perennial herbs, rarely shrubby. Leaves ter- 

 nate, with a pair of large leafy stiptilas, and thence by 

 some termed quinate. Fl. solitary or capitate, on long 

 axillary stalks. Cor. yellow, often mixed with red, or 

 crimson, or almost black ; rarely whitish. 



1. \t. corniculatus . Common Bird's-foot-trefoil. 



Heads depressed, of few flowers. Stems recumbent, pithy. 

 Legumes spreading, nearly cylindrical. Claw of the 

 standard obovate. Filaments all dilated. 



L.corniculatus. Li7in.Sp.Pl.\092. Willd.v. 3. 1395. Fl.Br.793. 



Engl. Bot. V. 30. t. 2090. Curt. Lond.fasc. 2. i. 56. Mart. Rust. 



t. 53. Hook. Scot. 220 ; excluding the varieUj, Fl. Dan. ^ 991. 



Ehrh. Herb. 428. 

 L. n. 385 /3. Hull Hist. r. 1. 167. 



