Lotus.] LEGUM1NOSJS. 103 



Fit voers |-f in., very shortly pedicelled. Petals twice as long as the calyx, 

 bright yellow, often streaked with crimson, often greenish or purple-brovi n 

 when dry. Pod f-lf in. — Distrib. Europe (Arctic), N. Africa, N. and W. 

 Asia, India. 



L. cornicuia'tus proper; almost glabrous, stem short, leaflets membranous 

 obovate obtuse or subacute. — Var. L. crassifo'lius, Pers. ; almost glabrous, 

 leaflets fleshy. Chiefly maritime. — Var. villo'sa ; covered with spreading 

 hairs. Kent, Devon, Sandgate. 



Sub-sp. L. ten'uis, Waldst. and Kit. ; stem filiform, leaflets generally linear- 

 lanceolate acuminate, stipules narrower, flowers fewer and smaller. P. 

 tenuifo'lius, Reichb., P. decum'bens, Forst.— Damp soils, not common, from 

 Forfar southd. ; very>are in Ireland. 



2. Ii. uligino sus, Sehk. ; perennial, erect or ascending, heads 5-12- 

 fld., peduncles very long, calyx-teeth' spreading in bud, 2 upper triangular 

 or subulate diverging with an acute sinus. L. ma'jor, Sm., not of 

 Scop. 



Moist meadows, &c, from Isla and Banff southd. ; ascends to 1,200 ft. in 

 Yorkshire; Ireland; Channel Islands; fl. July- Aug.— Glabrous or hairy. 

 Rootstock elongate, stoloniferous, branched at intervals. Stems 6-24 in. 

 Peafets §-1 in., obliquely obovate. Flowers proterandrous, and pods much 

 as in P. cornicula'tus. — Distrib. Europe, W. Asia, N". Africa. — The P. 

 ma'jor of Scopoli, with lanceolate leaflets and bracts, and which grows in 

 dry places, is probably a var. of P. cornicula'tus. 



3. L. his'pidus, Desf. ; annual, procumbent, laxly villous, peduncles 

 longer than the leaves 3-4-fld., pods ^-f by ^ in. more than twice as 

 long as the calyx subtorulose. 



Dry banks by the sea, from Hants to Cornwall, rare ; Channel Islands ; fl. 

 July-Aug. — Stems slender, 6-36 in. Leafets j-|-in., elliptic or oblanceolate 

 acute ; stipules ^-cordate. Flowers J in. Calyx-teeth subulate, straight in 

 bud. Standard obovate. Seeds subreniform. — Distrib. S.W. France, 

 Spain, Portugal, Italy. 



4. L. anerustis'simus, P. ; annual, procumbent, laxly villous, ped- 

 uncles shorter than the leaves 1-2 fid., pods f-1 by *•$ in. four times 

 as long as the calyx, torulose. P. dejlex'us, Sol. ; P. diffusus, Sm. 



Dry banks by the sea, from Kent to Cornwall, very rare ; Channel Islands; fl. 

 July-Aug. — Stems very slender, 6-12 in. Peafets f-f in., elliptic, obovate 

 or oblanceolate, acute or obtuse ; stipules ovate-lanceolate. Flowers % in. 

 Calyx-teeth subulate, straight in bud. Standard elliptic. Seeds globose. — 

 Distrib. of hispidus, and E. to Hungary and W. Asia. 



11. ASTRAGALUS, P. MlLK-VETCH. 



Herbs or shrubs. Peaves pinnate with a terminal leaflet, rarely 3-folio- 

 late ; leaflets entire ; stipules distinct or connate, free or adnate to the 

 petiole. Floiccrs in axillary racemes or spikes ; bracts small. Calyx 

 tubular ; teeth 5, subequal. Petals usually narrow with long claws ; keel 

 obtuse. Upper filament distinct ; anthers uniform. Ovary sessile or 



