THE’ 
JOURNAL OF BOTANY, 
BRITISH AND FOREIGN. 
ON THE PURPLE TREFOIL FOUND IN SCILLY. 
By C. C, Basineton, M.A., F.R.S. 
(PLATE XIII.) 
It has been thought advisable to give a figure of the very pretty 
Trefoil found in the Scilly Isles by Fred. Townsend, Esq., in June, 
` 1862, and first noticed at p. 216 of Vol. I. of this Journal Not- 
fhat we are able or desirous to distinguish it specifically, although 
when first seen we thought it might be distinct; for no characters 
seem to exist for separating it from the Trifolium repens, Linn. ; in- 
deed, had the flowe's been pale, it is hardly possible.that any miii 
doubt concerning their specific identity could have arisen. The sin- 
gularly dark tint acquired by the upper parts of the vexillum and ale. 
renders the flowers so remarkable and so beautiful as to attract the at- 
tention of persons who are comparatively unobservant in botanical 
matters. Different, however, as these elegant flowers seem from the 
white or whitish flowers of T. repens, we need only go into the next 
crop of White Clover to obtain an abundance of tinted flowers. Cer- 
tainly our fields do not furnish such deeply-coloured and ornamental 
flowers as are possessed by the plant from Scilly, but a considerable 
approach is made to them. The coloured flowers of the true 7. repens 
are rather “more or less deep pink or rose-purple," as described by 
Lowe ('Flora of Madeira, 150), than deep purple, as the Plate will 
show that they are in the plant now figured. It is also deserving of 
notice that in 7. repens the colour is most marked on the back of the. 
VOL. II. [JANUARY 1, 1864.] B 
