374 TRiFOLiuM HYBRiDUM. [December,. 



" Trif. repens hybridum, Hudson^ on whose authority it stands as 

 an English plant, but its existence as such wants further con- 

 firmation. Mr. Hudson mentions it as growing in moist pastures 

 near Peckham and Battersea." 



Sir J. E. Smith, in his ' English Flora/ vol. iii. p. 299, gives 

 distinctive marks whereby this plant may be known and separated 

 from' T. repens ; viz. T. repens, has prostrate creeping stems, 

 round and smooth, internally solid, by which character all the 

 varieties are essentially distinguished from T. hybridum, Linn. 

 Both Hudson and Withering describe this Trefoil as a perennial. 



In Kittel's ' Deutschlands Flora,' T. hybridum, Linn., is placed 

 after T. ccespitosum, which follows T. repens. This author adds the 

 synonyms T. Michelianum, Savi, and T. elegans, Savi. 



Cosson and Germain, in their accurate ' Flore des Environs de 

 Paris,' distinguish T. elegans, Savi, from T. Michelianum, Savi, and 

 supply distinctive characters. 



The following are the chief marks of this species : — T. hybridum, 

 L. Stems ridged and furrowed, smooth, branching, slightly hollow, 

 leafy. Leaves on long sulcate petioles, with membranous-herbace- 

 ous, entire, acuminate stipules ; leaflets rhomboid, with setaceous 

 teeth. Heads globose without an involucre ; flowers rose-coloured 

 and white : when unexpanded they are pure white and erect, when 

 fully expanded rosy and reflexed ; calyx-teeth equal, setaceous. 

 Legume flattened oblong, with 2-3-4 seeds. Note. The heads of 

 flowers are larger than in T. repens, and the peduncles are longer 

 than the leaf-stalks and leaves. — Wandsworth Steam-boat Pier, 

 Battersea, and Royal Hospital, Chelsea; August, September, 

 1860. 



This species has been observed during several seasons, especially 

 about Wandsworth and Battersea, and it is probably not uncom- 

 mon, as an agricultural fodder plant, in many parts of the country. 

 Its herbage is nearly as luxuriant as that of T. pratense. It pro- 

 bly owes its station at Wandsworth, etc., to this cause, viz. to its 

 being a fodder plant, and the seeds have been casually or acci- 

 dentally conveyed hither. It can hardly be considered as more 

 than a half-naturalized species ; but though this be its status, it 

 should not be left unnoticed, nor undescribed. The plant, like 

 many others of exotic origin, is forcing itself on our notice, and 

 " will be seen whether we will or no." While botanizing with a 

 friend on the hills about Sanderstead, Surrey, we picked up some 



