150 BRITISH BOTANY. 



Wandsworth Common, in the railway cutting opposite the 

 Prison, it has for several years maintained its settlement on 

 heaps of clayey mould. 



M. arvensis, Wallr. Field Melilot.—-E.B.s. 2960. l.b.s. 264^. 

 Alien. 



Stems erect, round, branching, leafy. Leaflets obovate ? (el- 

 liptical-lanceolate), with wide, unequal teeth. Clusters elongated, 

 very much longer than the leaves (the upper or terminal clus- 

 ters are branched, and subtended by a single leaflet or bract) . 

 Flowers white. Legume glabrous, obtuse, oblong-ovate, trans- 

 versely wrinkled, terminated by the style, usually 2-seeded. 



In corn-fields, etc. Annual ; July, August. 



Note. — The distinctive characters of these three sorts, M. offi- 

 cinalis, M. vulgaris, and M. arvensis, are very obscure. 



M. parviflora, Desf. — l.b.s. p. 16. Coss. et Ger. 11, G. 



Alien; will probably be naturalized. 



Stems erect or diffuse, usually much branched, cylindrical, 

 striated, leafy. Leaflets oblong or obovate, toothed. Flowers 

 yellow, sinall. Pod granulose, containing one large shagreened 

 seed. 



Annual; Jvme-September. Steam-boat Pier, Wandsworth. 



This species, which is readily distinguished from those above 

 described by its humble growth, small yellow flowers, reticulated, 

 rugose, globular, small, sessile legumes, and by its 1 or 3 ovate, 

 finely tubercled seeds, is spreading over the few cultivated fields 

 that still remain between Wandsworth (where it originated) and 

 Battersea. If it gain a settlement in the allotments below La- 

 vender Hill and Battersea Rise, it will be safe for some time. 



M. messanensis, Desf., Moris Fl. Sard. 58. — Stems ascend- 

 ing, branched, leafy. Leaflets obovate, cuneate, toothed on the 

 upper half, slightly notched at the apex ; stipules almost scari- 

 ous, small, acuminate, mostly entire or toothed at the base. 

 Clusters of small, yellow flowers, shorter than the leaves, on 

 a short, common peduncle. Legume ovate-elliptical, acute, ter- 

 minated by the persistent style, with numerous prominent con- 

 tiguous concentric ridges. Rubbish on the shore of the Itchin, 

 Southampton, and at Wandsworth Steam-boat Pier : abimdant 

 in both places, especially in the latter. Annual ; July-Sept. 



M. sp. ? — Stem ascending, rigid, angular, puberulent, branch- 

 ing, about 6 or 8 inches high, leafy. Leaflets elliptical-lanceolate. 



