lEGUMINIFER^. 61 



much enlarged and deeply ribbed in fruit, considerably longer than 

 the winys and keel, not folded longitudinally except at the base, 

 not keeled on the back, arched or bent down at the apex over the 

 pod. Pod much narrower and much shorter than the standard. 

 Style not half the length of the pod. 



In ticlds, pastures, roadsides, and waste places. Very common, 

 and gcucrally distributed. 



England, Scotland, Ireland. Annual. Spring to 

 Autumn. 



Stems numerous, rarely solitary, the central one erect, the 

 lateral ones and the branches more or less decumbent or even pro- 

 cumbent, 3 to 15 inches long. Leaves on short stalks; leaflets 

 ^ to ^ inch long, the central one inserted higher up on the common 

 petiole than the lateral ones, an arrangement Avhich rarely occurs 

 in this genus. Peduncles ^ to IJ inch long. Heads f inch across 

 in flower, but sometimes nearly -J- inch Avhen in fruit. Flowers 20 

 to 40 in each head, ^ inch loug, lemon-yellow, reflexed and 

 yellowish-brown after flowering, the lowest ones almost sessile, 

 the upper ones shortly pedicellate ; standard becoming about 

 ^ inch long, not folded together as in most of its allies, spoon- 

 sliaped, very much broader than the pod. Pod elliptical-ovoid, the 

 style about one-quarter the length of the pod, hooked. Seed oval- 

 ovoid, yellowish, shining. Brotero, as quoted by the Rev. ^Ir. 

 Lowe, says the seeds are mostly 2, but I have not found more than 

 1 in the British sjiecimens I have examined. Plant rather dull- 

 green, the leaves somewhat firm, glabrous or sub-glabrous. Stems, 

 stipules, and peduncles generally more or less thickly clothed with 

 adpressed curled hairs. 



This species is named T. procumbens in the Linnsean Herbarium. 

 The plant there named T. agrariuui is the plant so called in Koch's 

 Synopsis.* 



Soj) Trefoil. 



French, Trejle Coitche. German, Neiderliegender Klee. 



This is a common plant in dry fields and by the wayside, and is sometimes sown 

 for fodder, either by itself or more usually with white clover. It varies much in luxu- 

 riance of growth, being rarely more than a few inches high in the wild state ; but when 

 cultivated it often equals the Dutch clover in size. All cattle seem fond of it, and 

 ■with the white clover it may be advantageously grown, but seldom yields a good crop 

 by itself; it will, however, flourish ou very poor soils. 



• MM. Soyer-Willemet and Godron, in their " lie\-ue des Trifles de la Section 

 Chronosemium," contend that this is the T. agrarium of Liiinicus. It may be so of 

 the " Species Plautarum," but is certainly not of the Linnxan Herbarium. It is the 

 fashion with many botanists (especially those who have not the opportunity of con- 



