9 2 



BRITISH FLORA 



then split lengthwise. The abortive calyces are 

 numerous, slender, with 5 rigid points. The pod 

 is rounded, flattened at the margin. The seeds 

 are shining. The plant is 2-18 in. long, flowering 

 in May and June, and is a herbaceous annual. 



Cream-coloured Clover (Trifolium ochroleucon, 

 Huds.). The habitat of this plant is dry gravelly 

 soils, dry pastures, waysides, in the eastern coun- 

 ties, clover fields, ballast hills. The habit is erect 

 or ascending. The plant is softly downy. The 

 lower leaves are long-stalked, the leaflets inversely 

 egg-shaped, elliptic, oblong, the tip entire or 

 notched, the lower notched, or heart-shaped. The 

 stipules are lance-shaped, awl-like, parallel with 

 the stem to the middle. The flowers are cream 

 colour, brown when old, in round, then egg-shaped, 

 solitary, terminal stalked heads. The calyx is 

 downy, lo-veined, half as long as the corolla, the 

 teeth spiny, spreading, bent back in fruit, the 

 stalks short, opposite a pair of leaves. The lower 

 tooth of the calyx is longer than the tube, the 

 others two-thirds shorter. The pod is ribbed. 

 The top falls away when ripe. The plant is 

 6-18 in. high, flowering from June to August, and 

 is a herbaceous perennial. 



Boccone's Clover {Trifolium Bocconei, Savi). 

 The habitat of this plant is dry places on short 

 turf. The habit is erect. The plant is downy. 

 The leaves are short- stalked. The leaflets are 

 hairless, inversely egg-shaped, the lower roundish, 

 the veins equal, straight at the border. The sti- 

 pules are oblong, with an awl-like point. The 

 flowers are small, pale yellow or white, in axillary 

 and terminal, oblong, egg-shaped, cylindric, stalk- 

 less, paired heads. The teeth of the calyx are erect, 

 as long as the corolla, hairless, spinose, lance- 

 shaped, awl -like, the calyx with a ring in the 

 throat, lo-veined, with one strong prominent vein. 

 The pod is enclosed in the calyx. The seeds are 

 oval, brownish-yellow, with a prominent radicle. 

 The plant is 2-4 in. high, flowering in June and 

 July, and is a herbaceous annual. 



Soft Knotted Clover (Trifolium striatum, L.). 

 The habitat of this plant is dry pastures, dry sandy 

 fields. The habit is prostrate, then ascending. 

 The stem is softly hairy or silky, spreading. The 

 leaflets are silky, inversely heart-shaped or egg- 

 shaped, entire, stalked, the veins equal and straight 

 at the border. The stipules have reddish veins, 

 and are egg-shaped, membranous, the free portion 

 broadly triangular, the tip bent back. The flowers 

 are small, rose colour, in egg-shaped or oblong, 

 stalkless, terminal, paired, and solitary, axillary 

 heads, broadest below. The tube of the calyx is 

 egg-shaped, swollen in fruit (the teeth not rigid or 

 bent back), ribbed, with a narrow mouth. The 

 calyx-teeth are not so long as the corolla, unequal, 

 short, spiny, triangular to awl-like, i-nerved, 

 spreading in fruit. The seeds are oval, brownish- 

 yellow, and the radicle is not prominent. The 

 plant is 2-12 in. long, and flowers in June and July, 

 being a herbaceous annual. 



Rough Clover (Trifolium scabrum, L.). The 

 habitat of this plant is dry sandy places, stony 

 pastures, or dry fields. The habit is prostrate, 



then ascending. The stems are downy, rigid, 

 zigzag, the leaves being borne on short stalks, the 

 leaflets rigid, inversely egg-shaped. The flowers 

 are white, or pinkish-white, borne in terminal or 

 axillary heads, which are egg-shaped, stalkless, 

 the teeth of the calyx being lance-shaped, with i 

 strong prominent vein. When in fruit the calyx 

 is cylindrical, the teeth bent back, stiff, and un- 

 equal. It is 4-10 in. long, and flowers in May up 

 till July, being an annual and herbaceous. 



Round-headed Clover (Trifolium glomeratuni, 

 L.). The habitat of this Clover is gravelly places, 

 commons, sandy pastures, ballast hills. It is a 

 prostrate plant, ascending at the extremities, with 

 smooth, slender, spreading stems. The leaflets 

 are inversely heart-shaped, the egg-shaped stipules 

 or leaflike organs having long points. The flowers 

 are rose-coloured, borne in stalkless heads, which 

 are rounded, terminal, or in the axils. The calyx 

 is stalkless, the acute teeth being lo-veined and 

 egg-shaped. The plant is 6 in. to i ft. in length, 

 and flowers in June, being a herbaceous annual. 



Narrow-leaved Bird's Foo<i(Lolustenuis, Waldst. 

 & Kit.). The habitat of this plant is damp and 

 stiff soils, meadows, moist banks, waste places. 

 The habit is prostrate or ascending. The stem is 

 hairless or thinly hairy, threadlike (hence tenuis). 

 The leaflets are linear, acute, or inversely egg- 

 shaped, lance-shaped with a long narrow point. 

 The stipules are narrow, half egg-shaped. The 

 flowers are small, few, 2-5 in a head, light yellow, 

 the petals turning green when dry. The wings 

 are oblong to inversely egg-shaped, the lower 

 border abruptly curved at the apex. The teeth of 

 the calyx are short, awl-like, closely pressed in 

 bud, the points of the two upper teeth meeting to- 

 gether. The plant is 1-2 ft. high, flowering from 

 July to September, and is a herbaceous perennial. 



Purple Vetch (Astragalus hypoglottis, L. = A. 

 danicus, Retz.). The habitat of this plant is 

 chalky and gravelly places, dry, sunny pastures. 

 The habit is prostrate, or ascending. The stem is 

 short, clothed with soft hairs, which are black 

 above, slender. The rootstock is slender, branch- 

 ing, straggly. The leaves are shorter than the 

 stout flower-stalks. The leaflets are in 8-10 pairs, 

 blunt, small, numerous, oblong, linear. The stipules 

 are united below opposite the leaves. The flowers 

 are purple, in large heads, or ascending, egg- 

 shaped racemes. The calyx has black hairs 

 longer than the bracts. The pods are shortly- 

 stalked, hairy, short, egg-shaped, nearly erect, 

 included in the calyx, 2-seeded. The ovary is 

 twice as long as the stalk. The plant is 2-9 in. 

 high, flowering from June to August, and is a 

 herbaceous perennial. 



Bractless Bird's Foot (Ornithopus ebrac/eatus, 

 Brot. = O. pinnatus, Mill.). The habitat of this 

 plant is dry and sandy places. The habit is pros- 

 trate or ascending. The stem is threadlike, and the 

 plant is nearly hairless, bluish-green. The leaves 

 have lobes each side of a common stalk (hence 

 pinnatus), stalked. The leaflets are distant, ob- 

 long, elliptic, the lowest pair distant from the 

 stem. There are no bracts (hence ebracteatus). 



