Mi 



EDICAGO ARABICA. HEART IVlEDICK, or LEAVER. 



MEDICAGO Lin. Gen. PL Diadelphia DECANDRiAi Legumen compreffum, cochleatum, Carina 



corolla a vexillo deflectens. 



Raii Syn. Gen. 23. Herb^e flore papilionaceo seu leguminosje. 



MEDIGAGO polymorpha leguminibus cochleatis, ftipulis dentatis caule diftufo. Lin. Sv/l. Vegetal, p. 



577- S P- P L 10 97- 

 MEDICA foliis emarginatis, ferratis, racemis pauciflorisj filiquis globofis echinatis. Haller- hift 11 



MEDICAGO polymorpha. Scopoti Fl. Cam. n. 942. 

 TRIFOLIUM cochleatum folio cordato maculato. Bauhin. pin. 329. 



TRIFOLIUM cordatum Ger. emac. 1190. Park. 11 15. Raii Syn. ^Z' Heart Trefoil or Claver. 

 Hudfon. PL Angl. ed. 2. p. 331. 



RADIX annua, fibrofa. * ROOT annual and fibrous. 



CAULES plures, pedales, et ultra, procumbentes, an- | STALKS numerous, about a foot in length, or more 

 gulati, ftriati, purpurafcentes, pilofi, ramofi. % procumbent, angular, ftriated, ^pnrplifh hai- 



| ry, and branched 



FOLIA terna, obcordata, mucronata, obfolete ferrata, | LEAVES growing three together, inverfely heart-fha- 

 laevia, macula purpurea in medio notata. | ped, terminated by a fhorf point, faintly 



I fawed, fmooth, with a purple fpot in the 



% middle of each. 



PETIOLI fuperne canaliculati, pilofi. | LEAF-STALKS above grooved and hairy 



STIrULiE binae, femifagittatae, ferrate. . | STIPULE two, the fhape of half an arrow 'and ferrated 



FLORES plerumque bini, pedicellati, peduncuhs tere- ■% FLOWERS growing generally two together {landing- 

 tibus, pilofis, petiolis brevioribus ; Braftaa % on footftalks which are round hairy and 



minima, ad bafin cujufvis pedicelli, et feta % morter than the footftalks • Brattaa very 



pilofa inter flofculos longitudine florum. t fmall, at the bafe of each flower-folk and 



I a haiiy feta or brittle betwixt the flowers 



t or the fame length with the flowers 



CALYX: Perianthium monophyllum, tubulofum, | CALYX: a Perianthium of one leaf tubular fome 

 fubcampanulatum, pilofum, femiqumque- | what bell-fhaped, hairy, divided half wav 



fidum, lacinjis acuminata, fubaequalibus, | down in five fegments," which are pointed 



purpurafcentibus. Jig. 1. | nearly equal and purplifh. fy 1 



COROLLA papilionacea, flava ; Vexillum lubrotun- t COROLLA papilionaceous, and yellow' Standard 

 dum, emarginatum, reflexum lineis fa- | roundifh, notched at the end and turnine 



turateflavisadbafinnotatum.7%-. 7.. Ala | back, marked at its bafe with lines of a 



duae, parvae, vexillo breviores, croce^, | deeper yellow colour. 7%- 2. Wings two fmall 



apice paulo fecedentes. Carina conca- | fhorter than the ftandard, faffron coloured' 



va, obtufa, ahs paulo longior. j feparating a little from one another at the 



J tips. Keel hollow, blunt, a little longer 



I than the wings, fit. ° 



STAMINA: Filamenta diadelpha, coalita fere ad | STAMINA: Filaments uniting into two bodies al 

 apices, tubus furfum curvatus ; Anthers | moftto the tips, tube bending upward- An- 



minim», flavae. fig ^ ^ * therje very minute and yellow fo a A 



PISTILLUM: Germen viride, oblongum, fubtusubi | PISTILLUM : Germen green, oblong below where 

 flylus incipit emarginatum, cito fefe Ipi- | the ftyle begins notched, foon fpirally 



rahter ccntorquens, et fuperne fpinulas | twifting itfelf, and from its upper part 



agens; Stylus fubulatus, erectus; | throwing out little fpines ; Style ta- 



STiGMAtermmale,minimum.^-. 5 .6. 1 pering, upright; Stigma terminal, 



I - and very minute, fy. c 6 



PERICARPIUM: Legumen fubrotundo-cylmdraceum, \ SEED-VESSEL; a Pod of a roundifh cylindrical mane 

 utrinque truncatum, fpmulofum, | cut or? at each end, fpinous, and &! 



fpirahter contortum fig. 7. | ra% twifted up. /&■ - F 



SEMEN majufculum, remforme, flavefcens. fig. 8. ? SEED rather large, kidney-maped, and yellowim. fig. 8. 



The plant here figured is intended to reprefent the Trifolium cochleatum folio cordato maculato of Bauhine and 

 Ray and the Medicago polymorpha var. arahca of Linn^us ; how far it is in itfelf a variety how far Linn^us 

 and fome other authors are jufMed in making fo many varieties of one fpecies *, or how far others are right in di 

 viding one genus into fo many fpecies efpecially Monsieur Gerard, it would ill become me to determine" 

 this plant and this only of the prefent tribe as far as I have hitherto feen is common in the neighbourhood of 

 London ; future obfervation added to culture may perhaps enable me hereafter to fpeak more decidedly on the 

 fubject. 



The prefent plant is fubjeft to considerable variation in fize as alfo with refpect to the brightnefs of the 

 fpots on its leaves. 



It flowers in May and June. 



On the edges of Charlton Sand-pits it grows in very great plenty and is not uncommon on banks and the bor~ 

 ders of fields in a variety of other places. 



When it grows luxuriantly one is tempted to fuppofe that it wou'd afford good fodder for cattle it feeros at 

 leaft to deferve a trial. • ' 



* Athejrbicularis, fcutellata, tornata, turllnata, mtertexta, arabica, cgronata, dllarh, hlrfuta, rmdula, minima, murlcafa, nigra* lacinlata 

 Linna: o_j/r. > egetab. p-S1°' 



