230 LEGUMINOS^. (pulse FAMILY.) 



.008 broad, including prickles, coils 4-5, loose, margin thin, grooved on 

 both sides, with two rows of densely crowded, awl-shaped, hooked, 

 erect, 2-liuibed prickles, longer tiian hreadth of pods — Spring — Fields 

 and grassy places ; common. 



22. M, laciniata, All. .05 to .15, glabrescent. Stipules 

 fringed; leaflets mi/m^e, wedge-shaped, truncate or retuse, acutely den- 

 tate or pinnatifid. Peduncles 1-2-flowered, longer than leaf ; flowers 

 .003 long ; pod glabrous, .003 broad, coils 4-5, rather loose, margin 

 rather broad, obtuse, deeply grooved on both sides, with two rows of 

 crowded, awl-shaped, hooked, diverging, interlaced prickles, at right 

 angles to face of coil — Spring — Gaza, and southward. 



Var. brachyacautlia Boiss. Prickles more or less shortened. Sti- 

 pules deeply toothed — Arabia Petraea, and southward and eastward. 



23. M. Aschersoiiiaiia, Urban. Glabrous or sparingly 

 hairy, procumbent. Stipules lanceolate, rather obtusely denticulate ; 

 leaflets small, cuneate, truncate or retuse. Peduncles 1-2-flowered, 

 scarcely as long as leaf ; flowers minute ; pods small, coils 3-4, with 

 5-7 veins on face, prickles awl-shaped, hooked, grooved — Spring — 

 Arabia Petraea and southward. 



24. M. ciliaris, Willd. .3 to .5, glabrescent. Stipules in- 

 cised ; lea'ldts olovate-rhomboid. Peduncles 1-3-flowered, shorter than 

 leaf ; flowers .008 long, yellow ; pod .012 broad, villous^ coils 6-8, 

 rather loose, surface netted-nerved, margin thick, flat, with two 

 rows of straight, awl-shaped prickles, aiJpressed to pod, at right angles 

 to face of coils or spreading, not hooked — Spring — Coast, and coast- 

 range to 800 m. 



25. M. lupuliiia, L. to (D .3 to .5, Fig. 103. 

 pubescent. Stipules ovate, nearly entire, or 

 somewhat toothed at base ; leaflets obovate. 

 Flowers small, densely spiked ; peduncle longer 

 than leaf ; pod minute, turgid, glabrous or pu- 

 bescent, netted-veined — Spring — Weedy Pod of M.iupuiina, 



places ; common. magmfied 6 diameters. 



16, ]!IEL(IL«OTU§, Tourn. Melilot. Sweet Clover. Hhand'aquq. 



Daraq. 



Calyx short, 5-toothed. Keel obtuse. Stamens diadelphous, fila- 

 ments not dilated at apex. Pod (in ours pendulous) globular or 

 ovoid, straight, not beaked, nearly mdehiscent, 1-2- rarely 3-seeded — 

 Herbs sometimes shrubby, with pinnately trefoil leaves, and stipules 

 adnate to petiole, and spiked or racemed flowers, 



* Annuals. Grooves of pods concentric. 

 1. M. sulcata, Desf. .3 to .4, erect. Stipules ciliate-dentate, 

 the uppermost entire ; leaflets obovate to wedge-oblong. Pedicels 

 somewhat shorter than calyx-tube ; flowers .003 long, yellow ; fruiting 

 racemes .02 to .04 long ; pods round-obovate, .0035 long, keeled, ob- 

 tuse, wrinkles nearly toucTiing — Spring — Fields ; common. 



Var. major, Camb. Leaflets broader, more intensely green ; 

 fruiting racemes denser ; fruit, and often flowers, larger — Beirilt ; 

 Hhtiieh. 



