Lotus.] L. LEGTJMnrosa:. (J. G. Baker.) 9'L 



Tropical zone of the north-west : Scinde, Benbai,, Oitde, Punjab, Kumaon, &e. — 

 DisTKEB. Orient, Abyssinia, Europe, Japan, China, Siberia. 



Stems subglabrous, more robust than in M. minima and laciniata. Leaflets ^ in. 

 long, obovate-cuneate, faintly toothed. Peduncles short, closely 2-6-flo-wered, not. 

 awned. Calyx A in. ; teeth lanceolate, as long as the tube. Pod with 2-4 spirals,, 

 the veined face J-^ in. broad without the spines, which are i-J in. long in the type,, 

 but reduced down to mere tubercles in the var. M. apicidata, Willd. 



6. m. miniina, Larrik. ; DC. Prodr. ii. 178 ; annual, stipiiles subentire, pod. 

 small subglobose spiral muricated. Boiss. Fl. Orient, ii. 103. 



Kashmir, alt. 5-6000 ft, D. Thomson. — Disteib. Afghanistan, Orient, Mediter- 

 ranean, Abyssinia, Europe. 



' Knely downy, ih&, stems under ^ ft. long. Petioles as long as the leaflets, which are- 

 obovate-cuneate, ^— | in. long, distinctly toothed. Peduncles as long as the leaves, 

 closely 2-5-flowered, not mucronate. Calyx ^ in., finely downy ; teeth linear-seta-- 

 ceous, as long as the tube. Corolla distinctly exserted. Pod ^ in. broad, exclusive of 

 the long spines, formed of 4- 5 close spirals. 



15. X.OTVS, Linn. 



Herbs. Leaves usually 6-foliate, the lowest pair of leaflets arising from the base- 

 of the petiole like stipules. Caly.v tube campanulate, teeth subequal. Corolla 

 caducous, free from the staminal tube; standard obovate clawed, exceeding 

 the wings and incurved shortly beaked keel. Stamens diadelphous, filaments 

 dilated at the apex ; anthers uniform. Ovary sessile, many-ovuled ; style long, 

 abruptly inflexed, stigma terminal. Pod linear, turgid, septate between the- 

 seeds. — Disikib. Species 50 or more, spread through North and South temperate- 

 regions. 



L. major. Scop, is in Bellew's Kashgar collection. 



1. Xi. comiculatus, lAnn. ; DC. Prodr. ii. 214 ; herbaceous, leaflets 5,, 

 upper 3 remote from lower 2, flowers in peduncled terminal vmibels. Boiss. FU 

 Orient, ii. 165. L. bracteatus, Wall. Cat. 5939. 



West Himaiatas, as far east as Nipax, principally in the temperate zone up to 

 10,000 ft., but descending into the plains. — ^Distbib. Europe, Orient, Abyssinia, Japan, - 

 Australia. 



Perennial. Stems slender, glabrous or obscurely silky. Leaflets 6, the end one 

 sessile and two lowest stipule like. Flowers 4-8 in a close umbel, subtended by a re- 

 duced trifoliolate leaf, at the end of a long peduncle. Calyx ^ in. ; teeth lanceolate-cus- 

 pidate. Corolla sho-wy, 2-3 times as long as the calyx. Pod cylindrical, straight, |— 1 

 in. long. 



Vab. minor ; a dwarf form, from the plains of Scinde with solitary flowers and 

 fleshy leaflets ^ in. long. 



2. It, t G-arcini, DC. Prodr. ii. 212 ; sufliuticose, leaflets 3 all sessile 

 rarely 5, flowers sessile axillary solitary. Boiss. Fl. Orient, ii. 174. Ononis- 

 Aucberi, Javh. §• Spach HI. PI. Orient, t. 96. L. Stocksii, Boiss. Fl. Orient.. 

 ii. 174. 



SoiNDB in sandy ground near the sea, StocJcs. — Disteib. Through Persia to Nubia. 



Sabit less like that of a Lotus than of an Ononis, to which genus it also approaches by- 

 its slightly dimorphous anthers. Stems ^1 ft., copiously stifliy branched, covered like 

 the leaves with short grey tomentum. Leaflets pale, fleshy, ^-j-in. long, obovate-cune- 

 ate. Flowers copious, inconspicuous. Cak/x ^ in., densely downy; teeth linear, 

 twice the tube. Corolla not exserted. Pod linear, straight, 6-6-seeded, f-J in. long.. 



