LEGUMINIFER^. 55 



denticulate at the margins, with rather prominent veins. Stipules 

 adnate for about half their length, obhjng, with the free portion 

 lanceolate, abruptly acuminated into a short point. Flower-heads 

 all axillary, on stalks much exceeding their own length and longer 

 than the leaves from which they spring, solitary, depressed-globular, 

 lax. External bracts forming an imperfect involucre shorter than 

 the calyx. Flowers on pedicels which are equal to or rather 

 shorter than the calyx, reflexed after flowering. Calyx-tube bell- 

 shaped, bulging at the base on the upper side, rather faintly nerved ; 

 teeth triangular-subulate, the upper ones equal to the calyx-tube, 

 the others a little shorter, unaltered in fruit. Corolla more than 

 twice as long as the calyx, becoming scarious and striate when 

 covering the pod. Pod 3- to 6-seeded, longer than the calyx-teeth. 

 Plant sub-glabrous. 



In meadows, pastures, and waste places. A^ery common and 

 generally distributed. 



England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Spring to Autumn. 



Eootstock passing gradually into the creeping stems, M-hich 

 vary from a few inches to 1 foot or more in length. Leaflets varj'- 

 ing much in size in different localities, being from 5 to 1 inch long. 

 Peduncles rising more or less vertically upwards, from li to 8 

 inches long. Flower-heads f to l:j. inch across, resembling those 

 of T. hybridum. Flowers f to i inch long, white tinged with rose, 

 but frequently without any rosy tinge. The standard after flowering 

 becomes brown, and retains its shape as in the last S2:)ecies. The 

 pod is rather narrower and bossulated or marked by the seeds. 

 Seeds globular, compressed, notched at the hilum, generally 4 in 

 number. Plant bright-green, glabrous. Leaflets commonly with a 

 white mark. 



In a striking variety found by Mr. Townsend in the island of 

 Tresco, Scilly, figured in the " Journal of Botany," Vol. II. p. 1, 

 the flowers are suffused with bright lilac-purple. 



TFliite Clover, Dutch Clover. 



French, Trejle Rampant. German, Weiss KUe. 



This pretty little plant is so familiar to us all, that it appears almost like a spon- 

 taneous product of the soil, and so rapidly and constantly does it spring up, that 

 "Withering says, " On the soil of our moors in the North of England being turned up 

 for the first time, and lime applied. White Clover ajipears in abundance, a circumstance 

 in no way satisfactorily accounted for, but which is known to take place both in Britain 

 and North America." In such situations, doubtless, the seed may have lain dormant 

 for a length of time, until stimulated into vegetation by the admission of moisture and 

 heat. The plant is perennial, and bears its dense clusters of white blossoms all the 



