PAPILIONACEiE. 161 



1. Sickle Medick. Medicago falcata, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 1016. M. sylvestris, Bab. Man.) 



Stock perennial, with decumbent or rarely erect stems 1 to 2 feet long. 

 Stipules narrow and entire. Leaflets obovate-oblong or nearly linear. Pe- 

 duncles axillary, bearing at their extremity a short, close raceme of flowers, 

 rather large for the genus, usually yellow, but sometimes passing into blue 

 or violet. Pod much longer than the calyx, flat, more or less curved, but 

 never forming more than one complete ring. Seeds 2 or 3. 



On dry banks and open places in central and southern Evirope, and 

 central Asia, extending eastward to the Baikal and northward to Sweden. 

 In Britain confined to southern and eastern England, and rare even there ; 

 quoted also fi-om L-eland, but as scarcely indigenous. FL summer^ 



2. Iiucem Medick. IMIedicago sativa, Linn, 



(Eug. Bot. t. 1749. Lucern.) 



Much like the sickle M., and perhaps only a variety produced by cidtiva- 

 tion. It is usually more erect, the flowers are almost always violet or blue, 

 and the pod is spirally twisted so as to form 2, or sometmaes 3, complete 

 rings or coils. 



Apparently of south-eastern origin, but so generally cultivated, that no 

 station is known for it where it may not have escaped from cultivation. In 

 Britain, certainly introduced only, on the borders of fields, and iu pas- 

 tures. Fl. summer. 



3. Black Medick. Medicago lupulina, Linn, 



(Eng. Bot. t. 971. Nonsuch.) 



An annual, branching at the base into spreading stems 1 to 2 feet long, 

 and more or less clothed with short, soft hairs. Stipules broad and shortly 

 toothed. Leaflets obovate. Peduncles longer than the leaves, bearing a 

 compact raceme or oblong head of very small bright yellow flowers. Pods 

 small, black when ripe, glabrous or slightly hairy, kidney^shaped, but 

 marked with veins, curved almost into a complete spire, containing a single 

 seed. 



In pastures and waste places, throughout Europe and central and Rus- 

 sian Asia, except the extreme north, and often cultivated among " artificial 

 grasses." Erequent in Britain, excepting northern Scotland, Fl. the whole 

 season. 



4. Denticulate IVIedick. Medicago denticulata, WiUd. 

 (Eng. Bot. Suppl. t. 2634.) 



An annual, branching at the base into spreading stems from a few inches 

 to above a foot long, glabrous, or with a very few appressed hairs. Stipules 

 bordered with fine teeth. Leaflets obovate or obcordate. Flowers very 

 small, in little heads, on peduncles rather longer than the leaflets. Pod 

 spirally twisted, formed of 2 or 3 loose, flat coils, elegantly veined on the 

 surface, and usually edged with two rows of more or less hooked or curved 

 prickles, but not furrowed between them. 



In cultivated and waste places, especially near the sea, very abundant in 

 the Mediterranean region and west central Asia, and carried out with cul- 

 tivation to many parts of the world. In Britain it appears to have esta- 

 blished itself in some of the southern and eastern counties of England. 

 Fl. spritig and summer. A variety with smaller pods, with the prickles 



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