Medicago lupulina. Hop Medic k. 



• 

 MEDICAGO Limai Gen. PL Diadelphia Decandria. 



Legumen comprefTum, cochleatum. Carina corollas a vexillo deflectens. 

 Raii Syn. Gen. Herbje flore papilionaceo seu leguminos;e. 

 MEDICAGO lupulina fpicis ovalibus, leguminibus reniformibus monofpermis, caulibus procumbentibus. 



Linn. Syft. Vegetal, p. 577. Flor. Suecic. n. 678. 

 MEDIC A caule diffufo, capitulis hemifphaericis, filiquis reniformibus. Haller hifl. No. 380. v. 1. 

 ME DIC A lupulina. Scopoli Fl. Carniol. No. 940. 

 TRIFOLIUM pratenfe luteum, capitulo breviore. Bauhin. pin. 328. 

 TRIFOLIUM luteum iupulinum. Gerard emac. 11 86. Rail Syn. 331. Melilot Trefoil. 

 TRIFOLIUM montanum Iupulinum. Parkin/on 1105. 



Hud/on. FL Angl. ed. 1. p. 282. ed. 2. p. 330. 

 Lightfoot. Fl. Scot. 



RADIX biennis, fufiformis, paucis flbrillis inftructa, | 



profunde penetrans. | 



CAULES procumbentes, numerofi, pedales, fuban- t 



gulofi, hirfutuli, ramofi. | 



! 



FOLIA tenia, obcordata, aut obovata, obtufiufcule t 

 dentata, mucrone brevi lata terminata, mol- | 

 lia, pubefcentia, averfa praecipue parte. $ 



STIPULE duse, ovato-lanceolatse, acuminata?, den- ^ 



ticulatae. t 



SPICULES primum fubrotundae, poftea ovales, apici- | 



bus fubincurvatis, bafi ad unum latus nudis. $ 



? 



CALYX : Perianthium monophyllum, fubpilofum, | 



quinquedentatum, dentibus inaequalibus, tri- f 



bus inferioribus longioribus, duobus fuperio- | 



ribus brevioribus, remotis. y 



COROLLA lutea, parva, Calyce longior ; Vexillum | 



reflexum, emarginatum, inferne patens ; Al^e | 



et Carina minimae, fubasquales. ¥ 



STAMINA : Filament a connexa : Anthers lu- ^ 



teae. % 



PISTILLUM : Germen fubovatum compreffum : I 



Stylus longitudine Staminum, craiTum, fur- $ 



fum curvatum : Stigma capitatum. | 



? 

 PERICARPIUM : Legumen reniforme, compreffum, i 



rugofum, nigrum, fpiraliter cochleatum, fub- | 



villofum, fig. 1 . % 



SEMEN unicum, ovatum, laeve, flavefcens, Jig. 2. | 



ROOT biennial, tapering, furnifhed with few fibres, 

 and penetrating deep into the earth. 



STALKS procumbent, numerous, about a foot long, 

 fomewhat angular, (lightly hairy, and bran- 

 ched. 



LEAVES growing three together, inverfely heart or 

 egg-fhaped, fomewhat bluntly indented, ter- 

 minated by a broad fnort point, foft, pubefi* 

 cent, particularly on the under fide. 



STlPULiE two, ovato-lanceolate, acuminated, notch- 

 ed with little teeth. 



SPICULES, firft. roundifb, afterwards oval, the tips 

 fomewhat incurvated, and naked at bottom 

 on one fide. 



CALYX a Perianthium of one leaf, fomewhat hai- 

 ry, having five teeth, which are unequal J 

 the three lowermoft longefr. ; the two upper 

 ones fhorter, and remote from each other. 



COROLLA yellow, fmall, longer than the Calyx : 

 Standard turning back, with a flight notch, 

 fpreading below : Wings and Keel very 

 fmall, and bending below. 



STAMINA connected by the Filaments : Anthe- 

 RtE yellow. 



PISTILLUM : Germen fomewhat oval and flat i 

 Style the length of the Stamina, thick, and 

 bending upwards : Stigma forming a little 

 head. 



SEED-VESSEL: a kidney-fhaped Legumen, flat, 

 wrinkled, of a black colour, fpirally twilled, 

 and flightly villous, fig. 1 . 



SEED fingle, oval, fmooth, and of a yellowim colour 9 

 fig. 2. 



MANY of our Trefoils bear a considerable affinity to each other, and the prefelit plant is often confounded with 

 fome of them : but fimilar as it maybe in its leaves, its parts of fructification will always direct the ftudent aright 

 in his inveftigation of it ; its feed-veffells in particular, being totally different from thofe of the Ire/oils, vid.fig. 1,2. 



The leaves and ffalks of this plant are frequently more hairy than thofe "Trefoils for which it is liable to be 

 rniftaken, except the fubterraneum, which is ufually fmaller ; and in general the more barren the foil in which this 

 plant grows, the more downy does it appear : by culture it grows much larger and becomes frnoother. 



Its flowers are fmaller and more clofely compared than thofe of the Trifolium agrarium and procumbent, to both 

 of which it bears a great fimilarity ; nor are the fpikes fo exactly round as in thofe plants, but ufually of an oval, 

 or oblong fhape, particularly when fomewhat advanced ; and when the feeds are ripe, the plant is diftinguifhed at 

 firft fight, by its black feed-veflells. 



The Hop Medick has of late years, been much cultivated in different parts of the kingdom ; and in different 

 counties, it has been diftinguifhed by different names, as thofe of Trefoil, Black Seed, and Non-fuch. 



As the name of Trefoil tends to confound this plant with the true trefoils, or Genus Trifolium, I have ventured 

 to call it Hop Medick, there being already a plant called Hop Trefoil, viz. Trifolium agrarium, which though not at 

 prefent in culture, may perhaps be introduced at fome future period. 



The Hop Medick is often fown by itfelf, and often with Ray Grafs ; and though it does not produce fo large a 

 crop as the Broad-leaved Clover, it is fuppofed to afford a fweeter one, and a food particularly adapted to Sheep. 



Its natural fituation is a dry one, and its foil fandy, hence we find it wild on dry banks and on hilly paihires, 

 flowering in June and July. Its feed is ripe in Auguff, 



