DICOTYLEDONOUS PLANTS 91 



6. L. arbo'reus Sims. Shrubby, 4-10 ft. high. Leaflets 7-11, 

 generally 9. Flowers generally yellow, in whorls, fragrant. This 

 grows on sand-hills along the coast, where it is abundant and very 

 showy in summer. 



c. L. trunca'tus Nutt. Annual, erect, simple or branching above, 

 finely pubescent, becoming smoothish. Leaflets 5-7, linear-wedge- 

 shaped, with the apex obtuse, truncate, 3-toothed or entire. Flowers small, 

 deep purple, rather scattered on the elongating raceme. Pods more 

 than an inch long. Common in southern California. Spring. 



d. L. latifolius Agardh. Perennial, stout, branching, 2-4 ft. 

 high, leafy, dark green. Leaflets 5-7, oblanceolate, 1-2 in. long. 

 Racemes long on slender peduncles. Flowers rarely whorled, violet- 

 blue, turning brownish in fading. This is a common species in shady 

 places of the Coast Mountains. Spring. 



e. L. microcar'pus Sims. Annual, with many spreading branches 

 from near the base, woolly throughout. Leaflets 9, 1 in. long or 

 more, narrowly obovate. Racemes containing many whorls of pur- 

 plish flowers and persistent bracts. Peduncles short, stout, some- 

 what succulent, often horizontal, and with the whorls turned to the 

 upper side. Flowers rather large, on short pedicels. Pods thick, 

 2-seeded. This is common throughout California. 



/. L. densiflo'ms Benth. This is very similar to the preceding, 

 but is stouter and more spreading, less hairy, with the racemes on 

 long peduncles and the flowers ivhite or yellowish, rarely rose-color. 

 This also is common and widely distributed. 



(There are many other species not 'so readily recognized 

 from descriptions, and many of them are quite local.) 



IV. TRIFO'LIUM, Clover 



Low herbs with palmately compound leaves of 3 leaflets, 

 stipules adnate to the petiole. Flowers in close head-like 

 clusters on axillary peduncles. Calyx with 5, nearly equal 

 teeth. Petals with claws attached to the tube of the fila- 

 ments. Stamens usually diadelphous (9 and 1). Legumes 

 small, from 1 to 6 seeded, usually enclosed in the calyx. The 

 species are numerous and difficult. 



V. MELILO'TUS, Sweet Clover 



Leaves pinnately compound of 3 toothed leaflets. Flowers 

 small, in slender racemes. Legumes roundish, 1 or 2 seeded. 



