500 PATAGONIAN EXPEDITIONS I BOTANY. 



13. MEDICAGO Linn. Medic. 



Herbs, with small, trifoliolate leaves, and small, yellow or violet flowers 

 in axillary heads or racemes. Leaf-veins pinnate, ending in teeth. Sta- 

 mens diadelphous, i and 9. Legumes curved or spirally twisted, i -few- 

 seeded. 



Species 50, natives of the Old World. 



1. M. HISPIDA Gaertn. 



Glabrous. Stems procumbent. Leaflets obcordate, toothed ; stipules 

 ciliate-toothed. Peduncles 3-5-flowered. Pods cochleate, glabrous, 3- 

 cycled, obliquely flexuose-nervose, marginally aculeate, the aculeae long, 

 hamate. Seeds reniform, subtruncate, yellow. 



(S. Eur.) 



M. HISPIDA DENTICULATA Willd. 



Leaflets cuneate at the base. Flowers in short heads. Legumes spirally 

 twisted, spiny on the edges, several-seeded. 



(Eurasia, and adventive in N. Amer.); Patagon., by Rio Negro; and 

 near Rawson (Dusen) ; Magellan. 



2. M. LUPULINA Linn. 



Leaflets narrowed or rounded at base. Flower-head oblong. Legumes 

 curved into a partial spire, black, not spiny, i -seeded. 



(Eurasia and N. Amer.); N. Patagon., by Rio Negro; Magellan. 

 (Dusen.) 



3. M. MACULATA Willd. 



Stems prostrate. Leaflets obcordate or obovate, dentate, spotted. Stip- 

 ules dentate. Peduncles 3-5-flowered. Legumes cochleate on both sides, 

 compressed, whitish, with 3-5-cycles, nervulose, with anastomosing spines. 

 Seeds reniform, yellow. 



(Europe) ; N. Patagon., by waysides along Rio Negro. 



4. M. OBSCURA Retz. 



Decumbent, annual. Leaflets rhombic, obovate, denticulate ; the nerves 

 prominent. Stipules lanceolate, deeply toothed. Racemes many-flowered. 

 Legumes reniform or orbicular, cochleate, veiny, entire, glabrous, 2-seeded. 

 Seeds reniform brown. 



(S. Eur.); Magellan, "doubtless introduced." (Dusen.) 



