TRIFOLIUM. L. TREFOIL, CLOVER. :m 



rablc timber aiid in oriiaiiiental and fragrant woods. For gmns 

 it beats the world, and supplies also many valuable coloring 

 materials. It is well supplied with ornamental species. 



PAPILIONACE.E. PULSE FAMILY PROPER. 



Leaves mostly pinnate or palmate. Flowers usually in axillary 

 or terminal racemes, spikes or heads. Cali/x of 5 sepals, united, 

 often unequally. f'oroUa perigynous, very irregular, of 5 or 

 rarely fewer petals, papilionaceous ; upper petal called, the vexil- 

 lum, or banner, inclosing the others in the bud ; 2 lateral called 

 alcB or wings, oblique outside, and often adhering to the 2 lower, 

 which are usually united, and called carina, or the keel. Sta- 

 mens 10, very rarely 5, monadelphous or diadelphous, mostly 9 

 united and a free one next the banner. 



This sub-family, or sub-order includes all the clovers and 

 other leguminous forage jilants which are considered in this 

 volume. 



TRIFOLirM. L. TREFOIL, CLOVER. 



Herbs, usually low. Leairs digitately, rarely pinnately 3-folio- 

 late ; stipules adnate to the petiole. Flowers capitate or spiked, 

 rarely solitary; red, purple or white, rarely yellow; bracts small 

 or 0, sometimes forming a toothed involucre. Calyx-teeth 5, sub- 

 equal. Petals persistent ; wings longer than the keel, the claws 

 of both adnate to the stamina! tube. Upper stamen free ; all the 

 filaments, or 5 of them, dilated at the tip ; anthers uniform. 

 Style filiform, stigmas oblique or dorsal ; ovules few. Pod small, 

 indehiscent, 1-4-seeded, nearly enclosed in the calyx. Found in 

 the north temperate and Avarm regions, rare in southern ; species 

 150. The above generic description is mainly adapted from. 

 Hooher^s Flora of the British Islands. 

 41 



