71 



N. Ord. LEGUMINOS^E. 

 Tribe Trifoliete. 



Genus Trigonella,* Linn. B. & H., Gen., i, p. 486; Baill., 

 Hist. PL, ii, p. 290. Species about 50, chiefly inhabitants 

 of S. Europe, N. Africa, and Asia Minor. 



71. Trigonella FcBnum-graecum,t Linn., Sp. Plant., ed. 1, p. 



777 (1753). 



Fenugreek. 



Syn. Fcenum-grsecum officinale, 



Figures. Woodville, t. 154; Hayne, viii, t. 141; Nees, t. 325; Berg, 

 Charact., t. 66, fig. 503; Flora Grseca, t. 766. 



Description. An annual herb 1 2 feet nigh, with an erect, 

 slightly branched, cylindrical, hollow, smooth or slightly pubes- 

 cent stem ; root tapering. Leaves alternate on rather long stalks, 

 trifoliolate, stipules i inch long, triangular- acuminate, entire, 

 ciliate, leaflets shortly stalked, articulated to the rachis, oblong- 

 obovate, blunt or emarginate at the apex, denticulate in the 

 upper half, glabrous. Flowers sessile, solitary (rarely 2) in the 

 axils of the leaves. Calyx long and narrow, divided about half 

 way down into 5 narrowly lanceolate or linear acuminate teeth, 

 hairy outside, pale green. Corolla papilionaceous, about twice as 

 long as the calyx, pale yellow, standard about f inch long, with a 

 narrow claw and an ovate emarginate blade, wings much shorter, 

 blunt, lower petals united in front to form a very blunt rounded 

 keel shorter than the wings. Stamens 10, free from the corolla, 

 hypogynous, the uppermost filament distinct, the other 9 com- 

 bined except at their curved-up extremities, to form a sheath 

 round the pistil, open above ; anthers very small, similar. Ovary 

 smooth or downy, with numerous ovules, style rather long, some- 



* Trigonella, from the triangular form of the flowers of T. ruthenica, L., the . 

 type of the genus. 



f Fcenum-gracum, the name employed by Columella for this plant ; in Greek, 

 TI\IQ and 



