CLASS XVII. ORDER ITI. | MEDICAGO. 987 
the notched apex, the lateral ribs slender, parallel, the margin toothed 
towards the apex. Stipules lanceolate, awl shaped, and often toothed 
at the base. Inflorescence racemose clusters of numerous purple 
flowers, elevated on a peduncle, several times longer than the leaves. 
Bracteas bristle-shaped. Calyx bell-shaped, with long bristle-shaped 
teeth. Zegume smooth or silky, compressed, spirally twisted about 
three times, obscurely reticulated with fine lines. Seeds several, flat, 
yellowish. 
Habitat —Hedges, pastures, and borders of fields. 
Perennial; flowering in June and July. 
Both this and the above species are doubtful native plants, but have 
become naturalized by cultivation. Lucern has long in the South of 
Europe enjoyed the highest reputation as an agricultural plant, where 
in favourable situations it thrives remarkably well, and will bear 
cutting several times during the summer, hence a field near the 
homestead is most valuable; but in England it has not enjoyed the 
same reputation, though by some persons it is very highly spoken of. 
Though it has not obtained general cultivation, many persons have 
given it a trial: one reason seems to be that its produce is not a suffi- 
cient return for the time and labour necessarily bestowed upon it and 
probably this is owing to the climate of Kngland being too cold 
and damp for its sufficiently quick growth. The conditions neces- 
sary for its cultivation are a light rich deep loamy soil in a dry 
sunny exposure, and that this be prepared by deep trenching and well 
manuring. It is sown in the spring either broad cast or drilled, and 
the first year a crop of barley is mostly sown with it. The plan of 
drilling seems preferable, as the plants are then much more 
easily kept free from weeds, which is very important in its cultiva- 
tion ; it requires a top dressing either of ashes, or well decayed stable 
manure, every year, and also the soil lightly forked over in the spring, 
and occasionally during the summer. It is several years before its 
produce is great; but this so much depends upon the situation of its 
growth, the kind of soil, and dressing, that under favourable circum- 
stances two, and in others four, years are necessary. 
3. M. lupwiina, £. (Fig. 1146.) Black Medick, or Nonsuch. 
Stems procumbent; leaflets obovate, wedge-shaped, toothed upwards ; 
stipules ovate, nearly entire; spike ovate, of numerous densely 
erowded flowers; legumes kidney-shaped, reticulated with veins, 
smooth, hairy, or glandulous, single seeded. 
English Botany, t. 974.—English Flora, vol. iii. p. 318.—Hooker, 
British Flora, ed. 4. vol. i. p. 279.—Lindley’s Synopsis, p. 83. 
oot tapering, fibrous. Stem angular, downy, from a few inches to 
one or two feet long, branched at the base, or simple, procumbent 
and spreading. Leaves downy, the common footstalk furrowed 
above, the leaflets obovate, wedge-shaped, the mid-rib stout, termi- 
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