WASTE PLACES, ETC. 



123 



in length, and flowers between June and Septem- 

 ber, being a herbaceous biennial or annual. 



Yellow Oxalis (Oxalis corniculata, L.). The 

 habitat of this plant is waste, shady places and 

 waysides. The habit is branched, prostrate. The 

 stem is downy, without runners, slender. The 

 stem-leaves in pairs are trifoliate, the leaflets in- 

 versely heart-shaped, the stipules oblong, parallel 

 with the stem, united to the base of the stalk. 

 The flowers are small, yellow, the flower-stalks 

 in the axils 2-flowered, in a sort of umbel, not so 

 long as the leaves, the fruit-stalks turned back. 

 The capsules are downy, long, the seeds ribbed 

 transversely. The plant is 6-18 in. in length, and 

 flowers from June to September. It is a herb- 

 aceous annual. 



Small Yellow Balsam (Impatiens parviflora, 

 D.C.). This species is found in waste places 

 and woods. The plant is erect. The leaves are 

 elliptic to ovate, toothed, with a long, narrow 

 point, acute both ends. The flowers are small, pale 

 yellow, on erect stalks, with 3-12 flowers. The 

 spur is short and straight, formed by the posterior 

 sepal. The plant is 1-2 ft. high, flowering from 

 July to September, and is a herbaceous annual. 



Indian Balsam {Impatiens glandulifera, Royle). 

 The habitat of this plant is riversides and waste 

 places. The stem is stout. The flowers, which 

 are rose-purple and pink, are large. The plant is 

 3-5 ft. high, flowering from July to October, and 

 is a herbaceous annual. 



ORDER LEGUMINOS/E 



Lupine (Lupinus nootkatensis, Bonn). The 

 habitat of this plant is river shingle. The stem 

 is stout, leafy. The leaves consist of 6-8 wedge- 

 shaped, oblong, blunt-pointed leaflets. The leaf- 

 stalks are as long as the leaflets. The stipules are 

 linear to narrow-pointed. The flowers are blue, 

 in a long, partly whorled raceme. The bracts 

 are long, exceeding the buds. The upper lip of 

 the calyx is divided into two nearly to the base, 

 the lower is broad and 3-toothed. The corolla is 

 blue or purple. The plant is more or less densely 

 softly hairy, and very handsome. The plant is 

 1-2 ft. high, flowering in July and August, and is 

 a herbaceous perennial. 



Medicago lappacea, Desr. The habitat of this 

 plant is waste and cultivated ground, and the 

 plant has been introduced. It is rare. It has 

 been considered a variety of M. denticulata. The 

 differences between it and the latter lie in the longer 

 spines, which exceed the radius of the more or less 

 rounded pod. The flowers are yellow, and are 

 1-4 on each stalk, in heads larger by twice than 

 those of M. denticiilata, with stronger spines and 

 broader seeds. The pods are coiled 3-5 times, 

 and have a thin edge. The spines are hooked, 

 in 2 rows, spreading horizontally. The stipules 

 are laciniate. The seeds are kidney-shaped. The 

 plant flowers from May to August, and is a herb- 

 aceous annual. 



Small Melilot (Melilotus indica, All. = M. parvi- 

 flora, Dcsf.). The habitat of this plant is waste 



places. The plant is erect, slender, smaller than 

 the other species. The leaflets are inversely ovate, 

 coarsely toothed at the end. The stipules are awl- 

 like, entire. The flowers are very small, pale 

 yellow, the wings and keel equal, shorter than the 

 standard. The calyx-teeth are triangular, the 

 calyx reddish-brown. The pods are round to 

 ovoid, blunt- pointed, netted, smooth, and olive- 

 green. The plant is from 6 in. to i ft. in height, 

 flowering from June to August, and is a herbaceous 

 annual. 



White Melilot (Melilotus alba, Desr.=M. leu. 

 cantha, Koch). The habitat of this plant is waste 

 places, sandy and gravelly places, ballast heaps, 

 railway banks, quarries, woods, plantations, corn- 

 fields, clover fields, &c. The habit is erect. The 

 plant is not so robust as the Common Melilot. 

 The leaflets are inversely ovate, the upper oblong, 

 coarsely toothed, blunt. The stipules are awl- 

 like, entire. The flowers are white, in long 

 racemes, small, the wings and keel equal, not so 

 long as the standard. The pod is ovoid, acute, 

 irregularly wrinkled, netted, smooth, blunt, black 

 when ripe. The plant is 2-6 ft. high, flowering 

 between June and August, and is a herbaceous 

 biennial. 



Melilot (Melilotus arvensis, Wallr.=JI/. Petit- 

 pierreana, Hayne = J/. officinalis, Desr.). The 

 habitat of this plant is waste places. This Melilot 

 is not native. The plant is erect. The leaflets are 

 inversely heart-shaped or oblong, coarsely toothed, 

 the uppermost lance-shaped. The stipules are 

 awl-like, entire. The flowers are pale-yellow or 

 white, in long racemes, with the wing and standard 

 equal and exceeding the keel. The pods are ovoid, 

 blunt, ribbed, smooth, blunt - pointed, rounded, 

 keeled on the back, transversely plaited, and olive- 

 brown in colour when ripe. The plant is 1-3 ft. 

 high, flowering from June to August, and is a 

 herbaceous biennial. 



Starry Trefoil (Trifolium stellatum, L.). The 

 habitat of this plant is shingle beaches and ballast 

 heaps. The stem is short, prostrate, then ascend- 

 ing, spreading, softly hairy. The leaflets are in- 

 versely heart-shaped, softly hairy. The stipules 

 are ovate, acute, with small teeth. The flowers are 

 cream-coloured, small, in rounded heads, terminal, 

 and stalked. The calyx is large in fruit, lo-veined, 

 hairy, the teeth awl -like, from a broad base, 

 spreading like a star (hence stellatum\ longer 

 than the corolla, which is spreading in fruit, 3- 

 veined and netted, the throat closed with hairs. 

 The plant is 4-12 in. high^ flowering from June to 

 August, and is a herbaceous annual. 



Reversed Trefoil (Trifolium resupinatum, L.). 

 This is an introduced species found in waste 

 places. The stem is prostrate or ascending. The 

 leaflets are inversely ovate, minutely toothed. 

 The stipules are awl-like to lance-shaped, from 

 an ovate base. The flowers are in hemispherical 

 heads, which become round at length, on axillary 

 short stalks, small, reversed in position, cream or 

 rose colour. The bracts are very small. The 

 calyx is smooth or hairy above, in fruit is inflated, 

 membranous, netted, woolly. The pod is included. 



