230 LEGUMINOS^. (PDLSE FAMILY.) 



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

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

 erect, 3-limbed prickles, longer than breadth of pods — Spring — Fields 

 and grassy places ; common. 



22. M. laciuiata, All. © .05 to .15, glabrescent. Stipules 

 fringed; leaflets minute, wedge-shaped, truncate orretuse, 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. bracliyacantlia Boiss. Prickles more or less shortened. Sti- 

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



23. M. Aschersoniaua, Urban. © Glabrous or sparingly 

 hairy, procumbent. Stipules lanceolate, rather obtusely denticulate ; 

 leaflets small, cuneate, truncate or retuse. Peduncles 1-3-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 Petroea and southward. 



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

 cised ; leaflets obovate-rhomlmd. 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, apjjressed to pod, at right angles 

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

 range to 800 m. 



25. M, lupulina, L. © to @ .3 to .5, Fig. 103. 

 pubescent. Stipules ovate, nearly entire, or j^^ 

 somewhat toothed at base ; leaflets obovate. ^^3 

 Flowers small, densely spiked ; -p^dnnele longer ^^^ 

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

 bescent, netted-veined — Spring — Weedy - Pod of m. lupulina, 



places ; common. magnified & diameters, 



16. ]1IEL(IL«OTUS, Tourn. Melilot. Sweet Clovbr. Hhandaquq. 



Daraq. 



Calyx short, 5-toothed. Keel obtuse. Stamens diadetphous, 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. © .2 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, .0025 long, keeled, ob- 

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



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

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

 Hhaieh. 



