74 25. LEGUMINOS^E. 



5. MEDICAGO Linn. 



*1. M. saliva (L.); st. erect, racemes many-flowered, pods 

 compressed loosely spiral with 2 or 3 turns downy with adpressed 

 hairs unarmed, pedicels shorter than the calyx or bract, leaflets 

 obovate-oblong dentate above emarginate mucronate. E. B. 

 1 749. St. angular when young, Pods twisted into a loose open 

 spiral. Fl. yellow or violet. Hedge-banks and borders of fields, 

 scarcely naturalized. P. VI. VII. Lucerne. E. S. 



2. M. sylvestris (Fries) ; st. rather quadrangular pithy ascend- 

 ing, racemes many-flowered, pod of one flat turn annular, pedi- 

 cels shorter than the cal. longer than the bract, Its. obovate-oblong 

 dentate above emarginate mucronate. Fl. yellow or blackish- 

 green with darker streaks. Sandy and gravelly places in Norfolk 

 and Suffolk. P. VI. VII. E. 



3. M.falcata (L.); st. usually terete nearly solid prostrate, 

 racemes many-flowered, pod straightly sickle-shaped twisted not 

 annular, pedicels shorter than the cal. longer than the bract. Its. 

 obovate-oblong dentate above emarginate mucronate. E. B. 

 1016. Fl. yellow. Sandy and gravelly places in Norfolk and 

 Suffolk. P. VI. VII. E. 



4. M. lupulina (L.) ; spikes many-flowered dense oval, pods 

 compressed unarmed kidney-shaped with a spiral point rugged 

 with longitudinal branched prominent veins, stip. obliquely ovate 

 slightly toothed, leaflets roundish-obovate denticulate above emar- 

 ginate mucronate. E. B. 971. St. procumbent or ascending, 

 spreading widely. Pods scarcely spiral, glabrous or slightly hairy. 

 Fl. yellow. Waste ground. A. V. VIII. Black Medick. 



5. M. maculata (Sibth.) ; peduncles 1 4-flowered, pods com- 

 pactly spiral compressed consisting of 2 or 3 turns veined with 

 4 ridges on the edge and a central furrow, spines in 2 rows diver- 

 gent subulate curved, leaflets- triangular-obcordate, stip. toothed. 

 E. B. 1616. Leaflets with a purple spot in the centre. Edge 

 of the pods broad; spines arising from the margin and the ridge 

 next to it on each side, compressed and furrowed on both sides, 

 varying considerably in length. On a gravelly soil. A. V. VIII. 



6. M. minima (Lam.); peduncles 1 6-flowered, pods com- 

 pactly spiral consisting of 4 turns smooth with a thin edge, spines 

 in 2 rows divergent subulate hooked, leaflets obovate, stip. nearly 

 en ti r e. E. B. S. 2635. Edge of the pods with 3 ridges, the 

 central one so prominent as to be easily taken for the true mar- 

 gin, no central furrow but the central ridge common to the 2 

 rows of spines. Sides of the pods smooth. Spines varying con- 

 siderably in length and the whole plant in hairiness. This is 

 probably Ray's Orford plant. In sandy fields, rare. A. V. E. 



