74 LEGUMINOS^E. 



3. GENISTA. Lam. Green Weed. 

 (From the Celtic gen ,- signifying a shrub. Hook. Br. Fl.) 

 Calyx bilabiate, upper lip bipartite ; lower one 3 -toothed, or 

 5-lobed ; 3 lower lobes united almost to the summit. Standard 

 oblong-oval. Keel oblong, straight. Stamens monadelphous. 

 Legume flat-compressed or rarely somewhat turgid, many- 

 seeded, rarely few-seeded. 



G. tinctoria Linn. : stem unarmed, erect ; branches terete, striate ; leaves 

 lanceolate, nearly smooth ; flowers in spiked racemes ; legume smooth. 



Hills. Mass, and N. Y. July. Tj. Stem a foot high, with numerous 

 branches, shrubby. Leaves rather distant. Flowers on the upper part of the 

 branches, nearly sessile, yellow, with a floral leaf at the base- Said to afford a 

 fine yellow dye. Introduced from Europe. Dyer's Green Weed. 



i, MEDICAGO. Linn. Medick. 



(From the Greek ^r)(J<*c>; ; because it was introduced into Greece by the Medes.) 

 Calyx subeyliridric, 5-cleft. Keel somewhat remote from the 

 standard. Stamens diadelphous. Legume many-seeded, vary- 

 ing in form, always falcate or twisted into a spiral. 



1. M. liipulina Lin-n. : stem procumbent; leafets obovate-cuneate, den- 

 ticulate at the apex ; stipules lanceolate, acute, somewhat entire ; flowers 

 in capitate spikes ; legume reniform, 1-seeded. 



Fields. Throughout the U. S. June Aug. (T).Stem 612 inches high. 

 Flowers small, yellow, crowded. Legume black when ripe. Introduced from 

 Europe. Black Medick or Nonesuch. 



2. M. intertexta Willd.: stem procumbent; leafets obovate, toothed; 

 stipules ciliate-toothed ; peduncles somewhat 2-flowered ; legume pilose, 

 cochleate. membranaceous, obliquely reticulate; spines straight, thick, 

 rigid and acute. 



Sandy fields. Conn, and Car. July, Aug. . Flowers yellow. Intro- 

 duced from Europe. Hedgehog Medick. 



3. M. saliva Linn. : erect, smooth ; leafets ovate-oblong, toothed above, 

 mucronate ; flowers in oblong racemes ; legume spirally twisted. 



Fields. N. S. June. July. '4. Stem 1 2 feet high, erect or oblique. 

 Flowers purple. Pods twisted. A native of Europe, which has been occasion- 

 ally cultivated, and has in some places almost become naturalized. Lucerne. 



5. MELILOTUS. Tmirn. Melilot. 

 (From the Latin mel. honey, and lotus, the genus so called.) 



Calyx 5-toothed. Standard free, longer than the wings. 

 Keel petals united, free from the stamen-tubes. Legume cori- 

 aceous, globose or ovate, longer than the calyx, scarcely dehis- 

 cent, 1 or few-seeded. 



1. M. officinalis Wittd.: stem erect, branching; leafets lanceolate-ob- 

 long, obtuse, remotely serrate ; spikes axillary, paniculate ; legume 2-seeded, 



