196 LO'TUS CORNICULA'TUS EXAMINED. 



many genera, that, for convenience, it is subdivided 

 into six sets ; four of which depend, chiefly, upon 

 the shape and structure of the legumen. This 

 plant belongs to the division that has a legumen 

 of one cell, with several seeds. The name of the 

 genus is Lo'tus ; and the principal characters are, 

 that the wings of the flower nearly meet at the 

 upper part, and that the legumen is round and 

 full. The species that we have is the Cornicula'- 

 tus, or Bird's-foot Clover; which is distinguished 

 by the heads of flowers, consisting of a small num- 

 ber only, and being flat at the top ; the legumens 

 spreading out like the spokes of a wheel ; and the 

 stems generally trailing on the ground. The 

 leaves have three divisions, of an oblong figure ; 

 and where they spring from the stalks, there are 

 two other little leaves, called Stip'ules, which are 

 of a different shape from the divisions of the leaf 

 itself. The flowers, before they open, are of a red 

 colour ; but, when expanded, of a rich yellow. 

 The plant varies very much in different situations; 

 it is Decumbent, or commonly grows near the 

 ground; but in meadows it is often upright, like 

 this specimen. 



The genus Lo'tus is one of a very numerous tribe 

 of plants, called Trefoils, from the genus Trifo'- 

 lium, which signifies three-leaved, because each 

 leaf looks like three. The common English name 

 of all the trefoils is clover; and almost all the spe- 



