LEGUMINIFERiE. 14,7 



lanceolate, subulate stipules. Flowers blue, on ascending pedi- 

 cels in clusters. Legume hairy, elongate, many-seeded, loosely 

 spiral. 



Cultivated, and hence occasionally subspontaneous. Per. ; 

 July-September. 



This plant is only partially naturalized in the environs of Paris. 

 See Coss. and Germain, 'Flore des Environs des Paris. ^ 



Sect. II. Legume spinous, spirally conToluted. 



M. maculata, Sibth. Spotted Medick. — e.b. 1616. l.b.s. 261. 

 A. 9. C. 25. Lat. 50-55°. Alt. 0-100 yds. Tern. 52-48°. 



Stem spreading, ascending or erect, angular and furrowed. 

 Leaflets obovate or obcordate, toothed above_, tapering, and entire 

 below, with a dark brown or purplish spot ; stipules toothed. 

 Flowers in clusters 3-4, or solitary, on very short peduncles. 

 Legumes glabrous, having three to four spiral turns, roundish 

 and depressed, with two rows of subulate, diverging, bent or 

 hooked spines. 



Grassy places, on a light soil. Annual ; June- August. 



The only obvious distinction between this plant and M. denti- 

 culata is the spotted leaflets, the shorter peduncles, and the 

 rather shorter spines, which grow on the ridges of the fi'uit. 



M. minima, Lara. Little Bur Medick. — e.b.s. 2635. l.b.s. 

 263. 



A. 2. C. 5. Lat. 51-53°. Alt.? Tern. 50-49°. 



Stems trailing, much branched, angular and slightly grooved 

 (depressed). Leaflets cuneate, entire or slightly toothed; sti- 

 pules lanceolate, tapering, acute, entire or the lower only toothed. 

 Flowers small, 1-6, on axillary peduncles, which are usually 

 shorter than the leaves. Legumes glabrous or only slightly pu- 

 bescent, 1-4, 3-4 in luxuriant specimens, with short, stout, single 

 TOWS of spines on the ridges (only indistinctly 2 -rowed), slightly 

 curved, divergent (the spines vary much in size and shape, even 

 on the same plant) . The fruit becomes black ? 



On Blackheath, Greenwich. Annual ; May-September. 



M. denticulata, Willd. Toothed Medick. — e.b.s. 2634. l.b.s. 

 262 and 262 b. 



A. 4. C. 9. Lat. 50-53°. Alt. 0-? Tern. 52-49°. 



Stems prostrate, angular, glabrous, slightly ftirrowed (depressed 

 rather than furrowed between the angles). Leaflets obcordate 



