MACLOSKIE: LEGUMINOS/E. 501 



5. MEDICAGO SATIVA Linn. Purple Medic, Alfalfa. 



Perennial, with violet flowers. Leaflets oblanceolate or obovate. Stip- 

 ules entire. Pod coiled, hairy, not prickly. 



(Eur., introduced into N. Amer.); Patagon., by Rio Sta. Cruz, Rio 

 Chubut, and Rio Negro. 



14. MELILOTUS Juss. 



Herbs, with trifoliolate leaves, and small, white or yellow flowers in 

 slender racemes. Leaf-veins pinnate, commonly ending in teeth. Sta- 

 mens diadelphous, i and 9. Legtime ovoid or globose, straight. Seeds 

 i or few. 



Species 20, of Old World ; some naturalized in America. 



M. INDICA All. (M. parviflora Desf.) 



Stem ascending. Lower leaflets round-obovate, entire ; upper oblong, 

 obscurely toothed. Stipules linear-setaceous. Flowers yellow, small, 

 densely spiked. Legumes ovate, wrinkled, greenish-yellow, i -seeded. 

 Seed ovate, rugose, brown. 



(S. Eur.) ; N. Patagon., common by the RR. Negro and Limay. 



t 



15. TRIFOLIUM Linn. Clover, Trefoil. 



Herbs, with trifoliolate leaves and stipules adnate to the petioles ; and 

 purple, pink or yellow flowers in heads or dense spikes. Calyx-teeth 

 subequal. Claws of petals slightly united to the tube of the diadelphous 

 (i and 9) stamens. Legume oblong, i-6-seeded. 



Species 250, chiefly natives of N. Temp, zone ; some in S. Afr. and 

 S. Amer. 



I. T. ARGENTINENSE Speg. 



Glabrous perennial. Stems diffuse, rooting at the nodes, roots often 

 thickish. Leaflets obovate, retuse, denticulate ; stipules lanceolate, mucro- 

 nate. Flowers all axillary, dimorphous; some hypogaean, cleistogamic ; 

 others on long scapes, capitate-pedicelled, at length deflexed. Calyx- 

 lobes narrow, long, acute, the upper pair much connate. Corolla long- 

 exsert, ochroleucous or pink, fragrant. Legume 2-seeded ; the seeds sub- 

 ovoid, and subflavescent. 



(Argentina, near La Plata); N. Patagon, by Rio Negro, rare. 



