HOP TREFOIL. 



Trifolium procumbent. 

 Leguminosa 



Nat. Ord., 



HERE are so many different 

 species of trefoil, and so many 

 of them have so strong a simi- 

 larity, that their identification 

 is somewhat difficult to those 

 who have not specially studied 

 them, but though many of the 

 species have clustering and 

 yellow blossoms, the resem- 

 blance of the flower-heads of 

 the present species to little 

 hops is a sufficiently distinctive 

 and striking characteristic a feature 

 that, of course, gains for it its name 

 of hop trefoil. The Welsh name for 

 the plant is Meillionen hoppysaidd. This 

 accidental resemblance in part to another 

 plant procured for the hop trefoil the name at one time of 

 the Lnpulus sylvatwus ; we find it thus named, for instance, 

 in Parkinson's "Theatrum Botanicum" and other books 

 of that period. Now the modern scientific name for the 

 hop is the Humulus lupulus, and the first name is from 

 the Latin word humus, soil or ground. Many of the 

 plant-names were bestowed by early botanists, whose 



