128 



LEGUMINOS^E 



3. L. uligindsus (Greater Bird's-foot Trefoil). — Generally hair)', 

 but sometimes glabrous, 1 — 3 feet high ; stems tubular, weak, and 

 usually supported by surrounding plants ; leaflets obovate ; peduncles 

 very long; floivers deep yellow, 5 — 12 together ; calyx-teeth, while 

 in bud, spreading like a star, two upper ones diverging. — Damp 

 places ; common. — Fl. July, August. Perennial. 



4. L. angustissimus (Least Bird's-foot Trefoil). — A much smaller 

 plant than L. corniculdtus, prostrate, hairy, with shorter pedmicles ; 



flowers solitary or 2 together, small, yellow, fading green ; pods an 

 inch or more in length. — South of England, 

 near the sea; very rare. — Fl. July, August. 

 Annual. 



5. L. hispidus (Hispid Bird's-foot Trefoil), 

 a closely-allied, more silky form, ■w'x'Cvi. flowers 

 2 — 4 together, not fading green, and pods not 

 more than f in. long, occurs very rarely, near 

 the sea, in Dorset, Devon, and Cornwall. — 

 Fl. July, August. Annual. 



n. Astragalus (Milk- Vetch). — Herbs 

 with stipulate, imparipinnate leaves ; flowers 

 in axillary racemes or spikes ; calyx with 

 5 sub-equal teeth ; corolla with blunt keel ; 

 stamens diadelphous ; pod with a longitudinal 

 septum, 2-valved. (Name from the Greek 

 astrdgalos, a pastern bone, but not applicable 

 to this genus.) 



1. A. alpinus (Alpine Milk-vetch). — A 

 slender, prostrate, hairy plant, with 10 — 12 

 pairs of oblong leaflets ; free stipules ; shortly- 

 stalked, close racemes of a few drooping 

 flowers, which are white or pale blue, tipped 

 with purple ; and pendulous pods covered 

 -Occurs very rarely on Scottish mountains. — 

 Fl. July. Perennial. 



2. A. ddnicus (Purple Milk-vetch). — A similar species, with 

 8 — io pairs of leaflets; connate stipules, opposite the leaf; 

 peduncles longer than the leaves; flowers many, ascending, in 

 ovoid heads, purple ; and erect pods. — Dry soil, in the eastern 

 counties ; rare. Fl. June, July. Perennial. 



3. A. glycyphyllos (Sweet Milk-vetch). — A much larger species ; 

 stems 2 — 3 feet long, stout, prostrate, zigzag, glabrous; leaflets in 

 5 — 6 pairs ; stipules free ; flowers in short-stalked, dense, short 

 racemes, creamy-yellow ; pods erect, curved, smooth. — Thickets 



LOTUS CORNICULATUS 



(CommonBiriTs-foot 

 Trefoil). 



with black hairs.- 



