292 
GE 
N U 
Th BRITISH HERBAL. 
S XIII. 
BIRDSFOOT. 
ORNITHO 
PODIU™M. 
HE flower is compofed of four petals, and is of the papilionaceous kind. The vexillum is 
fmall, and cordated or heart-fafhioned at the top. The ala are oval, and fmaller than the vexil- 
lum. The carina is very fmall and flatted. The cup is formed of a fingle leaf, divided lightly into 
five fegments at the edge, and it remains when the flower is fallen. The pod is long, flender, and 
jointed. 
Linnzeus places this among the diadelphia decandria; the threads in the flower being ten, in two af-- 
fortments, nine joining together in a body, and the other fingle. 
Several flowers are in this genus placed on one receptacle ; and the pods being numerous, and of 
this fingular form, have fome refemblance to the foot of a fmall bird; whence the name. Linnzus 
fhortens it, and writes the word ornithopus. 
DEVILS a ON I. 
Common Birdsfoot. 
Ornithopodium filiquis incurvis. 
The root is long, flender, and furnifhed with 
numerous fibres, with little tubercles often hang- 
ing to them. 
The firft leaves are fmall, oblong, narrow. 
and beautifully pinnated: they are of a pale 
greyifh green, and fpread themfelves in a regu- 
Jar manner upon the ground. 
“ The ftalks rife among thefe; and are nume- 
rous, weak, and four or five inches high. 
The leaves on them are numerous, and placed 
irregularly : they are pinnated in the fame man- 
ner as thofe from the root, each confifting of 
twelve or more pairs of very fmall roundifh pin- 
nz, with an odd one at the end. 
DIVIS1.ON. I FO 
Flat-podded Birdsfoot. 
Ornithepodium filiquis compreffis. 
The root is long, flender, and furnifhed with 
a few fibres. 
The firft leaves are long, narrow, and very re- 
ularly pinnated: éach is compofed of ten or 
twelve pairs of fmall pinnae, which are of an 
oval form, fharp-pointed, of a pale green co- 
lour, and a little hairy. 
The ftalks are numerous, weak, and low: they 
are divided into a few branches, and are of a 
pale green, 
G E 
Ne @ 
BRITISH SPECIES, 
The flowers are fmall, and variegated with 
purple, white, and yellow: they ftand in clufters 
on little footftalks, and have a pretty appear- 
ance. 
The pods are long, flender, and jointed, a 
little crooked, and of a pale green: they very 
much refemble in the clufter the foot of a {mall 
bird. 
_ It is commonin dry, hilly paftures, and flowers 
in June. Hyde-park abounds with it. 
C.Bauhine calls it Ornithopodium minus; and 
he defcribes a variety of it fomewhat larger, un- 
der the name of Oruithopodium majus. Mott of 
the common writers are guilty of the fame error: 
the plant is the fame, only more.or lefs nou! 
rifhed. 
! 
R°E 1G NS Pree TES; 
The leaves on thefe perfe€tly refemble thofe 
from the root, and are of the fame pale green. 
The flowers ftand on long footftalks one or two 
on each ; and they are fmall and yellow. 
The pods are long, flender, and crooked ; and 
they are of a,dufky colour, and rough on the fur- 
face. 
The feeds are {mall and brown. 
It is common in Italy, and flowers in Au- 
gut. 
C. Bauhine calls it Orxithopodio affinis hirfuta 
Scorpioides. Others, Scorpioides leguminofa. 
S XIV. 
PODDED MILKW ORT. 
Ga Leg Ue Xt 
THE flower is compofed of four petals, and is of the papilionaceous form, The vexillum is up- 
right, nipped at the top, oblong, and turned back at the edges, The ale are of an oblong 
form, and fmaller than the vexillum. The carina is nipped at the end, and is of the fame length 
with the ale. 
fmalleft on the lower fide. 
The cup is formed of a fingle piece, divided lightly into five fegments, which are 
The pod is fhort, and heart-fafhioned. 
Linnzus places this among the diadelphia decandria ; the threads in the flower being ten, in two di- 
vifions, nine in one, and a fingle one in the other. 
This author joins ic to the aftragalus, as of the fame genus: but they differ obvioufly; the pods 
of the affragalus being oblong and obtufe, and that of the glaux fhort and pointed. 
DIVI- 
