78 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



On dry commons, by roadsides, and in wsste places. Not un- 

 common in England ; rare in Scotland, where it extends northward 

 to the counties of Moray and Dumbarton. 



England, Scotland, Ireland. Annual. Spring and Summer. 



Root producing from its crown numerous stems, which are 

 decvunbent or procumbent, very slender, neai-ly simple. Leaves 1 

 to 2 inches long, only the lower ones stalked ; leaflets elliptical or 

 oval, i to ^ inch long ; those of the lower leaves sometimes obtuse 

 or emarginate, those of the upper acute. Stipules very small, tri- 

 angular. Peduncles filiform, about as long as tlie leaves. Flowers 

 ^ inch long. Calyx-tube cylindrical-funnel-shaped ; teeth short, 

 triangular. Standard and wings white with red lines ; keel orange. 

 Pods not diverging, -^ to f inch long, curved upwards into a bow, 

 breaking into 5 to 9 indehiscent 1-seeded oval joints. Plant grey- 

 ish-green, with the upper part of the stem, leaves, calyces, and pods 

 clothed with short hairs. 



Least BircVs-Foot. 



French, Omitluipe DcUcat. German, Kleine Klauenschole. 



Sub-Genus II.— AUTHROLOBIUM. Desv. 



Pod scarcely compressed, very slightly constricted between the 

 joints, which are sub-cylindrical. 



SPECIES II.— ORNITHOPUS EBRACTEATUS. Brotero. 



Plate CCCLXXIX. 



Gr. k Godr. Fl. de Fr. Vol. I. p. 498. 



Arthi'olobium ebriicteatum, D. C. Jlah. Blau. Brit. Bot. ed. v. p. 87. Bcnth. Handbook 

 Brit. Fl. p. 174. U(x,k. &. Am. Brit. Fl. ed. viii. p. 110. 



Leaves almost all stalked ; leaflets 3 to 8 pairs, sub-glabroua. 

 Flower-heads 2- to 5-flo\vered, without a bract at the base. Calyx- 

 tube glal)rous, five or sis times as long as the teeth. Pod glabrous, 

 cylindrical, not constricted between the joints, gradually attenuated 

 into a subulate seminiferous beak longer than the last joint, without 

 a raised line or prominent veins, rough with minute tubercles. 



In sandy places. Very rare, and only known to occur in the 

 Scilly Islands. It is also found in Alderney and Guernsey. 

 England. Annual. Spring to Autumn. 



Root producing from its crown numerous slender ascending or 

 decumbent nearly simple stems, i to 20 inches long. Leaves 1 to 



