78 FLOWERING PLANTS OF THE RIVIERA 



acute, glabrous, yellow when ripe. Sides covered with numerous concentric 

 ridges. Standard as long as keel and slightly longer than wings. 



Damp, sandy fields near the sea, rare. March-June. Mourillon near Toulon, 

 and meadows between Hyeres and the sea. 



M. sulcata Desf. Annual, nearly glabrous. Leaflets oblong, acute, serrate. 

 Stipules incised-dentate. Flowers yellow, very small, in dense spikes. Calyx- 

 teeth equal. Standard shorter than keel and much shorter than wings. Pod 

 glabrous, green, globular, compressed, obtuse, upper edge keeled, with numerous 

 concentric ridges. 



Stony, sandy places in the littoral. April-June. 



M. indicaAIl. with very narrow leaflets, M. neapolitana Ten., M. italicn 

 Lamk. with very large leaves, and M. elegans Salz. also occur. 



MEDICAGO L. 



All flowers yellow except in the first species. 



* Pods without spines. 



M. sativa L. Lucern. Stem erect, branched, 1-2 ft. Leaflets narrowly 

 obovate-oblong, toothed, tip notched and apiculate. Flowers in a short dense 

 raceme, purple; peduncles longer than leaves, pedicels very short. Stipules 

 almost entire. Pod with 2-3 coils, downy. 



Fields and road-sides, cultivated and often naturalized. May-August. 



M. falcata Fries. Sickle Medick. Stem erect, 1-2 ft. Flowers rather 

 large, numerous, bright yellow. Peduncles longer than the leaves. Stipules 

 entire or toothed. Pod sickle-shaped, downy. 



Road-sides and fields, common. May-August 



M. media Pers. is a variety with dingy flowers, at first yellowish and then 

 more purple or whitish, and ring-shaped pods. 



It grows in dry, sunny places in the mountain region, but is rare in the 

 south. 



M. Lupulina L. Black Medick. Biennial, procumbent or ascending. 

 Leaflets obovate, toothed, apiculate ; petiole very short ; stipules half-cordate. 

 Flowers yellow, very small, numerous, in ovoid heads. Pod small, curved, 

 reticulate, reniform, black when ripe. 



Fields and waste grassy places, common. March-July. 



M. orbicularis All. Annual, 1-2 ft., rampant, almost glabrous. Leaflets 

 obovate-cuneate, toothed at top. Stipules laciniate. Flowers small, yellow, 

 1-3 on peduncles shorter than the leaves. Pods very large, disk-shaped, 

 usually glabrous, with 3-5 coils, nearly black when ripe. 



Fields and grassy places, fairly common. April-July. 



M. SCUtellata All. (Plate XI). Annual, 1-2 ft., rampant, hairy-glandular. 

 Flowers 1-3, orange-yellow, longer than the last, on peduncles shorter than the 

 leaves. Stipules toothed. Pods large, hemispherical, of 5-6 coils, hairy, yellow. 



Stony fields and dry places. April-June. 



** Pods spiny, in a loose spiral. 



M. prascox DC. A small annual, slightly downy. Leaflets small, obovate- 

 cuneate. Stipules laciniate. Flowers 1-2, very small, yellow, on peduncles, 

 much shorter than the leaves. Pods glabrescent, rather small, not turning black, 

 discoid, of 2-3 spiny coils ; spines divaricate, hooked. 



Dry, stony places. March-May. 



M. tnaculata Willd. = M. arabica All. Spotted Medick. Annual, nearly 

 glabrous. Leaflets obcordate or cuneate, slightly emarginate and toothed at top, 

 usually spotted with dark purple in the middle. Flowers small, yellow. Stipules 

 toothed. Pods subglobose, faintly reticulate, with 3-5 coils and a double row of 

 long curved spines. 



Waste places and road-sides, common. April-June. 



