MEDIC AGO FALCATA, A YELLOW-FLOWERED ALFALFA. 15 



very large ascending plants with long, erect stems, as well as the 

 broad -crowned forms, have few flowers to the raceme. The upright 

 bushy plants with stiff stems and narrow greenish gray leaves have, in 

 general, the largest racemes. A great abundance of flowers does not 

 appear to be characteristic of any special form of the species. The 

 compactness of the raceme is dependent to a large extent on the 

 length of the pedicel, the size of flower, and the arrangement on the 

 axis. Compact racemes are usually small, and the flowers are ar- 

 ranged at more regular intervals than they are in the loose racemes. 



The flowers of Medicago falcata usually come into bloom earlier 

 than those of Medicago sativa. However, the broad-crowned pro- 

 cumbent to decumbent plants of the former are especially late in 

 blooming. The flowering period is much longer than in the case of 

 Medicago sativa, frequently extending from May to October in South 

 Dakota. 



Pods. — The pods vary greatly in proportion of width to length 

 and range in shape from almost straight to semicircular or more 



Fig. 3. — ^The common types of pods of Medicago falcata. 



nearly coiled, even in what appear to be pure strains of the species. 

 The average pod is crescent or sickle shaped, reticiilate veined, 

 without glandular hairs, but in some cases slightly pubescent. When 

 mature they are light brown to almost black in color. (Fig. 3.) 



On pod characters it is possible to distinguish two fairly distinct 

 types or plants. Type 1. — Pods short, broad in comparison to length, 

 of medium tliickness, nearly straight, and pointed. Pods of this 

 type are light brown to dark brown in color, dehisce readily upon 

 approaching maturity, and on the average contain one less seed than 

 the average for the species. They are confined almost exclusively to 

 the more nearly erect stiff-stemmed types of plants and are found 

 al)undant]y in S. P. I. Nos. 20721 and 20722. They are well illustrated 

 by pods Nos. 8, 9, and 10 in the top row of figure 3, It was to plants 

 having pods of this general form that the varietal name stenocarpa 

 (Keich.) (J^f)) was apparently intended to apply. Type 2. — Pods 

 long, narrow in |)roportion to Iciigtli, sickle shaped to nearly coiled, 

 brown to ahiiost bl;irj< in color. The general tyi)e is illustrated by 



