312 ORDER 46. LEGUMINOS^E. 



base, several-seeded. Oriental, thornless shrubs or trees. Lvs. pal- 

 mately trifoliate. , Fls. mostly yellow. 



1 L. vulgare L. GOLDEN CHAIN. Arborescent ; Ifts. oblong-ovate, acute at 

 base, acuminate ; rac. simple, elongated, pendulous; leg. hirsute. A small, orna- 

 mental tree, 15f high, from Switzerland. Fls. numerous, large, in rac. If long. 

 f (Cytisus Laburnum L.) 



2 L. alpinum L. Arborescent; Ifts. oblong-ovate, rounded at base; rac. 

 long, simple, pendulous ; leg. glabrous. A beautiful tree, 30f high, native of 

 various Alpine regions of Europe. Like the former it develops numerous bril- 

 liant, fellow fls., in long, drooping clusters. There are varieties with ochroleu- 

 cous, white, and even purple fls. 



29. TRIFCTLIUM, Tourn. CLOVER. (Gr. rptQvMov, (three-leaved) ; 

 Lat. trifolium ; Fr. trefle ; Eng. trefoil.) Calyx tubular or campami- 

 late, 5-toothed, persistent ; petals more or less united at the base, with- 

 ering; vexillum reflexed ; also oblong, shorter than the vexillum ; 

 carina shorter than the alee; stamens 10, diadelphous (9 and 1); 

 legume short, membranous, mostly indehiscent, covered by and scarcely 

 longer than the calyx, 2 to 4-seeded ; seeds roundish. Herbs. Lvs. 

 palmately trifoliate ; Ifts. with straight, scarcely reticulated veins. Fls. 

 in dense heads or spikes. 



Flowers yellow, in small, dense, roundish heads Nos. 1, 2 



Flowers cynie, pedicellate, finally deflexed. (a) 

 subsessile, never deflexed. (b) 



a Heads small, on stalks some ten times lonerer Nos. 8, 4 



a Heads large, on stalks two or three times longer Nos. 5,' 6 



b Calyx teeth plumose, longer than the whitish corolla No. 7 



b Calyx teeth shorter than the purple or roseate corolla.. .Nos. 810 



1 T. procumbens L. YELLOW CLOVER^ St. procumbent or ascending; Ifts. 

 obtuse or retuse, denticulate, terminal one petiolulate ; slip, ovate-lanceolate acumin- 

 ate, much shorter than tJie petioles ; lids, small, subglobous ; cor. yellow ; sty. 3 or 

 4 times shorter than the 1-seeded leg. (T) In dry soil?, N. H. to Ya. Sts. many 

 from the same root, slender, more or less pubescent striate, 3 to 10' long, often 

 suberect. Lfts. 4 to 8" long, \ to equally as wide, lateral ones placed 1 to 2" be- 

 low the terminal one. lids. 2 to 3" diam.. on slender peduncles 1' long. Fls. 

 at length reflexed. Jn., Jl. Eur. 



2 T. agrarium L. St. ascending or erect; Ifts. often emarginate, denticulate, 

 all subsessile; stip. linear-lanceolate, cohering with and longer than the petiole; lids, 

 ovoid-elliptic; sty. about equaling the l-seeded kg. (T) Sandy fields, N. Eng. Sts. 

 6 to 15' high, branched, minutely pubescent. Lfts. 5 to 10" by 1 to 3". Com- 

 mon petioles 3 to 10" long, the upper ones shorter than their stip. Hds. of fls. 

 twice larger than in the last, on peduncles about 1' long. Fls. at length reflexed. 

 Jl., Aug. Eur. 



3 T. Caroliiiiamim MX. Slender, diffuse; Ifts. cuneate-obovate, the middle 

 one obcordate ; stip. ovate-acuminate, foliaceous ; hds. long-stalked ; cal. f leeth 

 thrice longer than its tube; leg. 4-seeded. (I) Fields fc ' S. Car. to Fla. and Tex., 

 almost forming a turf and poor pasturage. Sts. 6 to 12' long, many ftom one 

 root. Fls. white or purplish. Ped. 4 to G' long. Mar. May. 



4 T. repens L. WHITE CLOVER. SHAMROCK. St. creeping, diffuse ; Ifts. obcor- 

 date, denticulate ; stip. narrow, scarious ; hds. subumbellate, on very- long, axil- 

 lary peduncles; leg. about 4-seeded; cal. teeth shorter than the tube. 1[ In all 

 soils, mountainous, meadow or rocky, throughout N. Am. Sts. several from the 

 same root, extending 6 to 12', rooting at the joints. Ped. angular, much longer 

 than the Ivs. Fls. white. May Sept. Highly valued for pasturage. 



5 T. reflextim L. BUFFALO CLOVER. Pubescent; ascending or procumbent; 

 Ifts. obovate or oblong-obovate, serrulate, some of them emarginate ; stip. leafy, 

 semicordato ; hds. umbel-like ; cal. teeth nearly as long as the cor. ; leg. about 

 4-seeded. f) Prairies and meadows, W. and S. States. St. 8 to 16' high. Lfts. 

 subsessile, 7 to 8'' by 4 to 5" ; petioles 1 to. 2' long. lids, large and handsome. 

 Ped. 1 to 3' long. Fls. rose-red, turning brownish when deflected. Apr. Jn. 



