CHAPTER XX. 



MINOR CROPS 



Since most of the crops dealt with in this chapter belong to 

 the leguminosae, the following key to the principal genera, 

 given by Robbins/ may be of use : — 



Plants with tendril-bearing leaves : 



Calyx lobes leafy, stipules large, rounded — Pisuvi (pea). 

 Calyx lobes not leafy, stipules mostly small, pointed. 

 Style slender, bearded at the tip — Vicia (vetch). 

 Style flattened, bearded along inner side — Lathyrus 

 (vetchling). 



Plants without tendril-bearing leaves : 



Leaves palmately three-foliate — Trifolium (clover). 



Leaves pinnately three-foliate, rarely five to seven- 

 foliate. 



Flowers small, many in a cluster. 



Flowers in slender spike-like racemes — Melilotus (sweet 

 clover) . 



Flowers in heads or short spikes — Medicago (lucerne). 



Flowers medium to large, few in cluster. 



Pods smooth, mostly large. 



Keel of corolla spirally coiled — Phaseolus (bean). 



Keel of corolla merely incurved — Vigna (cowpea). 



Pods hairy, small — Soja (soy bean). 



Leaves pinnate, with two pairs of leaflets — Arachis (pea- 

 nut). 



FIELD BEANS (Phaseolus spy.). 



Beans belong to the leguminosae or pea family of plants. 

 They are either annual, biennial or perennial; although most 

 of the common varieties in the Union are annuals. The most 

 characteristic features of this genus are the pea-like flowers, 



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