LEGUMINIFER®. 25 
elobular-ovate densely racemose heads, which become oblong in 
fruit. Pod slightly curved, with the apex alone coiled, the sides 
marked with elevated ridges which anastomose and form a network 
with elongated meshes. 
In pastures, on dry banks, roadsides, and in waste places, &c. 
Extremely common, and generally distributed. 
England, Scotland, Ireland. Annual or biennial. Spring 
to Autumn. 
Stems varying in length from a few inches to 2 feet, much 
branched. Leaves on long stalks, the uppermost subsessile, tri- 
foliate, with the middle leaflet separated from the others ; leaflets 
1 to 2 inch long, obovate or roundish, with an inversely-deltoid 
base, finely denticulate towards the apex, where it is emarginate, 
with a sharp tooth in the centre of the notch. Stipules half-cordate- 
ovate, cuspidate, finely denticulate, adhering to the petiole at the 
base. Peduncles 2 to 14 inch long. Flowers bright yellow, ¢ inch 
long, very numerous, in heads { to 3 inch across. FPedicels shorter 
than the calyx. Calyx-teeth lanceolate-acuminate, longer than the 
tube. Standard longer than the wings and keel. Head of fruit 
i to inch long. Pod black, glabrous or slightly pubescent, } to ¢ 
inch long to the end of the kidney-shaped portion, after which the 
apex makes a complete turn; but this coil has a much smaller 
diameter than that of the circle of which the kidney-shaped portion 
forms part. Seed solitary, transversely ovoid, yellowish, slightly 
shining, smooth, with a tubercle close to the hilum, which is 
depressed. Plant bright-green, sub-glabrous or hairy: on dry 
chalky banks it is sometimes densely pubescent. 
Black WMedick, Nonsuch, Yellow Clover, Shamrock. 
French, Luserne Lupuline. German, Hopfen Schneckenklee. 
This plant is cultivated in Norfolk, and is there called Black Nonsuch and Sham- 
rock. It is considered by some farmers as one of the most valuable of artificial grasses, 
and is excellent fodder for sheep. It is frequently mixed with rye-grass and clover. 
Srction II1I.—SPIROCARPOS. WD. C. 
Pod many-seeded, indehiscent, coiled into a close helix without 
~ an aperture in the centre of the coil, with a concentric extra-marginal 
nerve on each side of the dorsal suture, and commonly bordered 
with spines or tubercles. 
VOL. III. E 
