Trifolium procumbens. Procumbent Trefoil, 



TRIFOLIUM Lin. Gen. PL ■ Diadelphia Decandria. 



Flores fubcapitati. Legumen vix caiyce longius, non dehifcens, deciduum. 

 Rait Syn. Gen. 24. Herb^e flore papilionaceo seu leguminos^e. 



TRIFOLIUM procumbens fpicis ovalibus imbricatis : vexillis deflexis perfiften'tibus, caulibus procumben- 

 tibus. Linnm SyJl.Veg. p. 574. ^.P/i 08 8. F^SuecAn.%y-^ 



TRIFOLIUM fpicis ftrepentibus paucifloris, caulibus erectis. Bailer lift. 364. 



TRIFOLIUM luteum fiore lupni'mo minus. /. B. II. 381. 



TRIFOLIUM lupulinum alterum minus. Rati Syn. ^330. a. ij. The leffer Hop-Trefoil Hudfon. 

 Fl. Angl. ed. 2. p. 328. Lightfoot Flor. Scot. p. 409. 



RADIX annua, fibrofa. ^ROOT annual and fibrous. 



CAULE3 plures, fpithamaei, pedales et ultra, teretes, 3: STALKS feveral, a fpan, or even a foot or more in 

 duriufculi, pills adpreffis pubefcentes, praefer- | length, round, hardifh, downy, with hairs 



tim ad extremitates, purpurei, procumbentes, J prefied elofe to the ftalk, particularly at the 



ramoh. ^ | extremities, purple, procumbent, and branched. 



FOLIA terna, _ petiolata, remota, inferiora obcordata, | LEAVES growing three together, remotely, Handing 011 

 fuperiora obovata, plerumque emarginata, ad | foot-ftalks, the lowermoft obcordate, the upper- 



apicem argute ferrata,_ plerumque laevia, venis | raoft obovate, for the mod: part emarginate, 



re&is, fimplicibus, utrinque iropreffis. % towards the top finely ferrated, commonly 



I fmooth, the veins ftraight, unbranched, im- 



% prefled on each fide of the leaf. 



PETIOLI breves, longitudine ftipularum. | LEAF-STALKS fliorr, the length of the ftipulae. 



STIPULtE binae, ovatae, acutae, quinquenerves, ad | STIPULE growing in pairs, ovate, pointed, five-ribbed, 

 margines pilofe, bafi amplexicaules. | edged with hairs, and at the bafe embracing 



| the .ftalk. 



PEDUNCULI unciales circiter, pubefcentes. % FLOWER-STALKS about an inch in length and downy. 



SFICJE fubrotundae, multiflorae (raro infra oclo, aut | SPIKES roundifh, many flowered, flowers feldom fewer 

 ultra viginti) laxius imbricatae. $ than eight or more than twenty, loofely im- 



| bricated. 



FLORES parvi, lutei, pedicellis breviffimis, infidentes. | FLOWERS fmall and yellow, fitting on very fhort 



? foot-ftalks. 



CALYX: Perianthium quinquedentatum, perfiftens, | CALYX : a Perianthtum with five teeth, permanent, 

 fubpilofum, dentibus tribus inferioribus Ion- % and fomewhat hairy, the three' lowermoft 



gioribus, fubulatis, fig. 1. | longer than the reft, and awl-fhaped, Jig, 1. 



COROLLA papilionacea, perfiftens, marcefcens, de- ^ COROLLA papilionaceous, permanent, and withering, 

 mum rufa, venis faturatioribus ftriata, fig. 2. | finally becoming of a reddifh brown colour, 



% and ftriped with veins of a deeper colour,^. 2. 



PERICARPIUM: Legumen ovatum, compreffum, mo- % SEED-VESSEL an ovate, flat Pod, turning backward, 

 nofpermum, deorfum reflexum, corolla per- | inclofed in the corolla, which continues, and 



fiftente inclufum, fig. 3. % containing one feed, fig. 3. 



The Trifolium procumbens is often found larger, but more frequently much fmaller, than the fpecimen we have 

 here figured. When it grows luxuriantly it bears a near refemblance to the agrarium already publifhed ; but in that 

 ipecies the fpikes are not only much larger, but alfo much more clofely imbricated, compared with the procumbens the 

 agrarium may be confidered with us at leaft as a fcarce plant ; while that is found only in certain fpots, the procumbens 

 is met with every where, there being fcarcely a dry, hilly pafture, or grafs plat, on which it may not be found. In 

 its dwarf ftate it comes very near to the filiforme figured in Ray's Synopfis, tab. 14. fig. 4. Indeed it is very difficult 

 to affign their refpeclive limits ; but both Mr. Hudson and Mr. Lightfoot agree in making the filiforme a diftindt 

 ipecies; and the latter afTures us, that culture proves them to be fpecifically different. 



All the Trefoils are confidered as affording excellent pafturage and fodder for cattle. The prefent fpecies is, 

 perhaps, not inferior to any of them in thefe refpects ; but the quantity it affords is fo trifling, that it can fcarcely 

 be thought worth cultivating, efpecially as it is only an annual. 



It flowers during the greateft part of the fummer. 



Haller defcribes it as growing upright, which it never does with us, unlefs drawn up by furrounding 

 herbage. 



