28 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



numerous long scattered articulated hairs on the stem, petioles, 

 stipules, peduncles, and calyx. 



Spotted Medick. 



French, Luserne Tacliee. German, Arabischer SchneckenMee. 



SPECIES VI.— MEDICAGO MINIMA. Lam. 

 Plate CCCXL. 



Rootstock none. Leaflets narrowly wedge-shaped, truncate or 

 obcordate. Stipules half-ovate, entire or with a few short teeth 

 on the margins. Plowers few, in shortly-stalked, lax sub-umbel- 

 late heads. Pods coiled into a spiral of 3 to 5 tui'ns, globular, 

 scarcely compressed, the coils becoming gradually smaller towards 

 the apex, not reticulated, but with very indistinct veins on the 

 faces; their back narrow, with a single nerve and a very broad 

 lateral furrow on each side of it {i.e. between the dorsal and extra- 

 marginal nerves). Spines in 2 rows, slightly spreading, straight, 

 most of them with a small hook at the summit. Seeds numerous, 

 reuiform, with a small tubercle at the hilum. Plant thickly 

 covered with short stiff hairs. 



In dry sandy places. Rare. Confined to the South-east of 

 England, where it certainly occurs in Kent, Suffolk, Norfolk, 

 Essex, and Cambridge. It has been reported from other counties, 

 but probably erroneously. 



England. Annual or biennial. Spring and Summer. 



A small plant, with numeroi;s rigid prostrate stems, 2 inches 

 to 1 foot long. Leaflets rarely above J inch long, very narrow. 

 Elowering 2:)eduncles shorter than the leaves, 2- to 5-flowered. 

 Flowers yellow as in the preceding species, but smaller, about ^ inch 

 long. Pods ^ to 5" inch in diameter, resembling small burrs with 

 the spines generally longer in proportion than in the preceding 

 species ; extra-marginal nerve very remote from the dorsal nerve, 

 having a broad shallow furrow interrupted by the bases of the 

 spines. Plant greyish-green, with the stems stouter in 2)roportion, 

 and with shorter internodes than in M. maculata. Pods much 

 smaller, about the size of a sweet-pea seed. 



Little Bur Medick. 



French, Luserne Naine. German, KUinster SchneckenkUe, 



