80 LEGUMINOS/E. [Medicago. 



to six-flowered, supported by a floral leaf. Flowers yellow, 

 rarely white or pink. — Name ; supposed to be one of the three 

 kinds (the herbaceous) of the Awtos of the Greeks. 



Diadelphia. Decandria. 



1. L. corniculatus, Linn. Common Bird' s-foot Trefoil. Heads 

 depressed, umbellate, 8 — 10 flowered; stems decumbent; leaf- 

 lets obovate ; peduncles very long; claw of the standard in- 

 flated above. 



a. vulgaris ; every where glabrous or nearly so. L. cornicu- 

 latus, Linn. Br. FL 1. p. 332. E. Fl. v. iii. p. 312. E. Bot. 

 t. 2090. 



ft. villosus ; stem, leaves, and calyx clothed with very long 

 spreading hairs. 



Sandy fields, common. $. moist bushy places at Dunran, County 

 of Wicklow. Fl. July, Aug. %. 



2. L. major, Scop. Greater Bird's-foot Trefoil. Heads de- 

 pressed, umbellate, 8 — 10 flowered; stems nearly erect, tubu- 

 lar; leaflets obovate; peduncles very long; claw of the stand- 

 ard narrow. Br. Fl. 1. p. 332. E. Fl. v. u\. p. 313. E. Bot. 

 t. 2091. 



Sides of ditches and moist bushy places, not uncommon ; plentiful 

 at Dunran, Countv of Wicklow. County of Deny ; Mr. D. Moore. 

 FL July, Aug. %. 



3. L. anguslissimus, Linn. Slender Bird's-foot Trefoil. Vil- 

 lous. Flowers solitary or in pairs ; their peduncles about twice 

 as long as the leaves ; leaflets ovato-lanceolate ; calyx-teeth 

 very long ; stems procumbent ; legumes very slender. Br. FL 

 1. p. 332. E. FL v. iii. p. 3 1 5.—L. diffusus, E. Bot. t. 925. 



In meadows towards the sea, rare. Strand near Passage, County of 

 Cork ; Mr. J. Drummond. Fl. May, June. ©, — Flowers much 

 smaller, and general aspect very different from any of the preceding. 



10. Medicago. Linn. Medick. 



Calyx somewhat cylindrical, 5-cleft. Keel rather distant from 

 the vexillum. Stamens diadelphous. Pod many-seeded, 

 variable in form, always falcate or spirally twisted. — Her- 

 baceous plants or shrubs. Stipules usually cut. Leaves stalked, 

 trifoliate; leaflets toothed. Peduncles axillary, with 1, 2, or 

 many flowers. Flowers yellow or purple. — Name ; the juwSucy 

 of the Greeks, so called, because it was introduced into 

 Greece by the Medes. Diadelphia. Decandria. 



1. M. sativa, Linn. Purple Medick or Lucerne. Clusters 

 upright; legumes spiral; stem erect, smooth. Br. Fl.l.p. 

 333. E. Fl. v. iii. p. 317. E. Bot. t. 1749. 



Dry gravelly banks and pastures, naturalized. Fl. June, July. %. — 

 Plentiful at Portmarnock in sandy fields. This has purple floivers 

 and a spirally twisted pod. 



