DIADELPHIA DECANDRIA. Trifolium. 213 



T. subterrdneum. Subterraneous T. Heads hairy, of 

 about four flowers. Involucre central, bent back, rigid, 

 starry, embracing the fruit. E. B. 1048. C. 2. 54. 



Dry, gravelly pastures, barren heathy places. * * Shotover Hill, by 



the road to Cuddesdon. Sb. and Bx, 

 An. June. 



Stems trailing, spreading close to the ground, almost concealed by 

 the broad, sheathing stip, of the numerous Is. Leafl. inversely 

 heart-shaped, entire. Fl.-stalks at first erect, before the fruit 

 ripens, bent to the ground, producing from their extremities 

 white thick fibres, star-like at their tips. The long slender 

 milk-white petals rtjnder this plant conspicuous. Cal. teeth 

 long, hairy. 

 T. pratense. Common Purple Clover.^ Honey-suckle 

 TrefoiL Spikes close. Stem ascending. Petals 

 unequal. Calyx hairy, four of its teeth equal. Stipulas 

 egg-shaped, bristle-pointed. E. B. 1770« 



Meadows, pastures. 



Per. June. 



Stems about one f., slightly branched, leafy. Leafl, elliptic, more 



or less acute, with a pale, crescent-shaped, angular mark. Spikes 



terminal, solitary, between a pair of nearly stalkless Is. Fl. 



many, fragrant, light purple, petals united at the base, and to 



the stam. 

 Var. Fl. white. 



Most valuable for fodder or hay ; most nutritious of its tribe. 

 The " holy trefoil's" leaf formerly supposed a potent charm against 

 witches, probably from its three leaves being emblematic of the 

 Trinity. The heads dye woollen green, with alum, or copperas. 

 T. medium. Zigzag T. Spikes lax. Stems zigzag 

 and branching. Petals nearly equal. Stipulas taper- 

 ing, converging. Two upper calyx-teeth rather the 

 shortest. E. B. 190. 



Rlevated, dry, chalky, or gravelly pastures. Sm. 



Per. June. 



Differs from Trif. pratense, in its lax head of fl., longer and 



narrower stip., and more unequal calyx, and its remarkably iigLa.^ 



stem. Fl.-heads rather larger. Pet. purple. Leafi. spear-shaped, 



with minute serratures invisible to the naked eye. 



T. arvense. Hare^s-foot T. Spikes close, egg-shaped, 

 cylindrical, very hairy. Stipulas spear-shaped, bristle- 

 pointed. Calyx-teeth longer than the corolla, perma- 

 nently bristle-shaped. Leaves linear-inversely-egg- 

 shaped. E. B. 944. C. 6. 50. Lagopodium, Pes 

 leporis. G. E. 1193. 



*■ Ang, Sax, 



