Melilotus.] LEGUMINOSAE. 303 



rather large, on axillary peduncles, solitary or 2-3 in an umbel. 

 Ccdyx-tnbe campanulate ; teeth 5, subequal, the 2 upper connate 

 nearly to the apex. Corolla blue or purplish-white, the petals 

 free from the stamina! tube, exsei*ted ; standard suborbicular, 

 retuse, narrowed into a short claw ; wings falcate-oblong with a 

 narrow basal lobe ; keel petals connected above, oblong-falcate, 

 shorter than the wings, abruptly inflexed. Stamens diadelphous, 

 the vexillary one free, filaments of the rest connate to near the 

 top, anthers uniform. Ovary sessile, linear, multiovulate ; style 

 indexed above; stigma terminal, small. Pod linear, turgid, 

 obliquely acute, 2-valved. Seeds many, on filiform funicles. 

 PAROCHETUS COMMUNIS, Hamilt. ; F. B. I. ii. 86. P. major, 

 Don ; W. & A. 252 ; Wt. Ic. t. 483. 



Nilgiri and Pulney Hills at 6,000-8,000 ft. 



A small pretty trailing and rooting herb with pale blue or 



purplish flowers, and clover-like leaves with obcordate 



leaflets. 



6. Melilotus, Juss. 



Annual or biennial herbs. Leaves pimiately 3-foliolate, the 

 main nerves excurrent as marginal teeth ; stipules adnate to the 

 petiole. Flowers small, yellow or white, in slender axillary 

 racemes ; bracts and bracteoles minute or 0. C^y/<tube cam- 

 panulate ; teeth 5, subequal. Petals deciduous, free from the 

 stamiiial tube ; standard obovate or oblong, subsessile ; wings 

 oblong, longer than the obtuse keel. Stamens ]0, vexillary fila- 

 ment free or connate in the middle with the others ; filaments 

 filiform ; anthers uniform. Ovary sessile or stalked, with few 

 ovules ; style filiform, incurved ; stigma terminal. Pod sub- 

 globose or oblong, indehiscent or tardily dehiscent; seeds 1 

 or few. 



Corolla minute, yellow ; pod usually 1- seeded ; annual 1. indica. 



Corolla rather larger, white ; pod often 2-seeded; biennial ...2. alba. 



1. MELILOTUS INDICA, All. M. parviflora, Desf. ; F. B. I. ii. 

 89 ; W. & A. 196. 



Eastern Coast Districts, a cold-weather weed in fields. 



2. MELILOTUS ALBA, Lamk. ; F. B. I. ii. 89. M. leucantha, 

 Koch ; W. & A. 196. 



Northern Districts, a cold-weather weed of cultivation. 

 Trigonella Foenum-Graecum, Linn., the Fenugreek, is an annual 



