288 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



112. Helminthocarpum A. Eich. 1 — Flowers very small (of 

 Lotus) ; 2 superior teeth of calyx broader. Petals long-unguiculate, 

 variably but slightly adherent to staminal tube. Keel rather obtuse. 

 Stamens of Lotus ; vexillary stamen free or more or less connate with 

 remainder. Germen sessile 2-ovulate ; style inflexed ; apex mi- 

 nutely capitate, stigmatiferous. Legume small linear sub-4-gonous, 

 circinately curved, coriaceous, transversely wrinkled by veins, sub- 

 septate within between seeds, indehiscent. — A slender prostrate 

 herb, with minute silky down ; leaves imparipinnate ; stipules 

 minute • flowers 2 subumbellate on peduncles in higher axils ; bracts 

 very small; bractlets (Abyssinia 3 ). 



113. Hymenocarpus Savi. 4 — Flowers almost those of Lotas 

 calyx-lobes deep, nearly equal. Standard suborbicular ; keel beaked 

 Stamens of Lotus. Germen sessile 2-ovulate ; style abruptly inflexed 

 stigma terminal. Legume broad compressed circinate ; exterior 

 margin broad membranous, nearly entire or unequally toothed 

 indehiscent. Seeds reniform exarillate. — An annual prostrate herb 

 leaves imparipinnate or lowest leaves 2-foliolate ; leaflets entire 

 stipules of higher leaves 0, of lower adnate to petiole (?) 

 flowers 2-4 at extremity of each axillary peduncle; lowest bracts 

 foliaceous ; remainder small, setaceous or obtuse ; bractlets {Medi- 

 terranean 6 ). 



V. TRIFOLIEiE. 



114. Trifolium T. — Receptacle very short, lined by a disk. Calyx 

 gamosepalous ; teeth or lobes 5, nearly equal or unequal ; 2 superior 

 more or less connate; 1 or 3 inferior longer. Corolla usually mar- 

 cescent ; petals often connate at base, sometimes into a short tube ; 

 standard subobovate or oblong ; wings narrow ; keel shorter than 

 wings, obtuse. Stamens 10, either 2-adelphous (9-1), or more rarely 

 1-adelphous at middle ; all or 5 filaments often more or less dilated 

 at apex; anthers uniform. Germen sessile or stipitate ; ovules kw ; 

 style slender, curved above, hooked-inflexed at apex ; stigma ter- 



1 Fl. Abyss. Tent., i. 200, t. 36.— B. H., * Species 1. E. circinata Savi, loc. tit.— 



Gen., 489, n. 76. - Yellow. Sibth., Fl. Grcec, t. 768.— Moeis, Fl. Sard., 



3 Species 1, H. abyssinicum A. Rich., loc. t. 34. — Dub., But. Gall., 123. — Gben.&Godr., 

 cit. — Bakke, in Oliv. Fl. Prop. Afr., ii. 60. — Fl. de Fr., i. 382 — Medicago circinata L., 

 Walp., Ann., ii. 406. Spec, 1096.- Sek., in DC, Prodr., ii. 171.— 



4 Fl. Pis., ii. 205. — B. H., Gen., 489, n. 77. Auricula muris Camerarii Baud:., Hist., ii. 387. 



