212 DIADELPHIA DECANDRIA. Trifolium. 



Stem zigzag. Ls. alternate, spreading, winged with an odd one : 

 leaji. elliptic-egg-shaped, gradually lessening, with the terminal 

 one smaller, hairy beneath, nearly smooth above. Fl. heads 

 erect, axillary, scarcely longer than the Is. until after flower- 

 ing. Stalk and cal. clothed with black hairs, mixed more or 

 less with white ones. Cor. fine violet. 



Var. Fl. white. 



TRIFO'LIUM. Trefoil, Clover, and Melilot. 



The^. of all the species, dried and powdered, may be made into 

 bread. Ls. in all the British species in threes, hence the name 

 trefoil, three Is. 

 * Flowers hi clusters, or spikes. Seeds one or more. Melilotus. 



T. officinale. Common Melilot. Clusters on one side 

 of the stem only. Legume prominent, acute, trans- 

 versely wrinkled, hairy, with two seeds. Stem erect. 

 Stipulas awl-shaped. E. B. 1340. 



Thickets, hedges, borders of fields. 



An. June. 



Stem branched, leafy. Ls. in threes, rarely more, stalked : leafl. 



upper ones inversely egg-shaped, narrow, saw-toothed. Fl. 



yellov/, in long, axillary stalked spikes, with small bracteas. 



Standard folded. A newly observed Melilot species with white 



flowers, described, in H. Br. Fl., Melilotus leucantha. 



The leaves when dry, and seeds have a flavour approaching to 

 that of bitter almonds ; hence a bad weed among bread-corn. 

 Fresh Is. taste and smell like hay. 



* * Flowers in heads. Seeds several. 



(T. ornithopodioides. See Appendix.^ 



T. repens, TVhite T. Dutch Clover. Heads globose, 

 resembling umbels. Flowers somewhat stalked. Le- 

 gume within the calyx, four-seeded. Stems creeping, 

 solid. E. B. 1769. C. 3. 46. T. pratense. G. E. 

 1185. 



Meadows, pastures. 



Per. il%. '** 



Ls. alternate, on long, \ipright stalks : leafl. on small, partial stalks^ 

 inversely heart-shaped, or roundish, finely toothed, smooth. 

 Ls. generally stained after flowering, the fl.-heads spread out- 

 wards and dowmwards, like an umbrella. Fl. cream-coloured, 

 rarely reddish, (sometimes become leafy,) hanging down in 

 decay. 



Valuable fodder for cattle in the dry, autumnal months : an ex- 

 cellent bottom in pastures. Where this plant abounds spontane- 

 ously, an indication of a good soil. 



^ ** Seeds single. Calyx generally hairy. 



