DIADELPHIA— DECANDRIA. Medicago. 317 



A numerous genus of herbaceous, rarely a little slu'ubby, 

 mostly procumbent, plants, with stalked, ternate leaves; 

 stlpidas unlike the leaflets; and small, clustered, or spiked, 

 axillary, yellow, rarely blueish,^otti^r5. Legumes various, 

 very peculiar, smooth or prickly, often remarkably con- 

 voluted. 



* 1. M. saliva. Purple Medick, or Lucerne. 

 Clusters upright. Legumes spiral. Stem erect, smooth. 



M. saliva. Linn, Sp. PL 109C. JVilld. v. 3. 1404. Fl. Br. 795. 



Engl. Bot V. 25. t. 1 7-19. Mart. Rust. t.4S. Hook. Scot. 220. 

 Medica. Dod. Penipf. oJG.f. 

 M. n.382. Hall. Hist. v.\. \6G. 

 M. sativa. Dalech. Hist.r)02.f. 

 M. sativa, sive Tiifoliiim sativum, siliquii cornuta, magis tortili. 



Moris. V. 2. 158. sect. 2. t. I G./. 2. 

 M. legitima. Clus. Hist. v. 2. 242./. 

 M. major erectior, floribus purpurascentibus. Bauh. [list. v. 2. 



382./. 383. 

 Trifolium Burgundiacum. Ger. Em. 1189./. 

 Foenum Burgundiacum. Loh. Ic. v. 2. 36./. 



In hedges, pastures, and the borders of fields, in dry calcareous 

 soils, but scarcely a native. 



Perennial. June, July. 



Root woody, seldom lasting long. Stems erect, or somewhat re- 

 clining, al)out 2 feet high, branched, leafy, roundish, smooth. 

 Leaflets oblong, inclining to wedge-shaped, more or less acute, 

 sharply serrated towards the end, clothed with close silky hairs 

 on both sides, but especially beneath. Stipulas lanceoh'ue, or 

 half-arrow-shaped, pointed, sometimes toothed. Clusters Qxcci, 

 of many blueish-))ur])le//ou;<?'ri', with a small bristle-like hractca 

 under each partial stalk. Legume ^m\x\, with rarely more than 

 2 or 3 turns, silky while young. Seeds several, flattish. 



Lucerne has often been recommended for fodder, or for hay ; its 

 (jualities and mode of culture may be seen in the Flora Rustica. 

 (ierarde mentions it as increasing much in his garden, I have 

 often sus|)ected it to be a variety of the following, originatiu"- 

 from cultivation, but they do not a])])ear ever to run into each 

 other. 



2. M./a/cala. Yellow Sickle Medick. 



Clusters upright. Legumes sickle-sha]K'tl. Stiin proeuin- 



bent. 

 M. falcata. Linn. Sp. I'l. lO'.Hi. Ifdhl. r.y,. I lo;,. /■/. /;,. ;i)ii 



F.ugl. Rot. V. 1 5. /. I I (). Mart. Rust. t. Hi] and N7. FL Dan. t 233 

 .Medica n. 3S I. Halt. Hist. v. \.\ 05. 



