Ononis.] XXV. PAPILIONACE, 105 
the branches all round or chiefly or entirely in two opposite lines ; in 
dry situations many of the small branches end in a thorn. Leaflets 
obovate or oblong, the lateral ones smaller or sometimes wanting. 
Flowers sessile or shortly stalked, solitary, on short branches, or forming 
short, leafy racemes. Flowers pink, the standard streaked with a deeper 
shade. Pod shorter or rather longer than the calyx, with 2 or 3 seeds. 
In barren pastures and poor ill-cultivated fields, throughout Europe 
and central and Russian Asia, except the extreme north. Common in 
Britain. Fl. summer and autumn. A glabrous, more erect, and thorny 
variety is often admitted as a species, under the name of O. antiquorum, 
or O. campestris. It is more common in the south of Europe than in 
Britain, [There are two principal British forms of this plant :— 
a. O. spinosa. Erect, spinous, not foetid, without stolons, leaflets 
usually narrow, pod equalling the calyx. Absent from Ireland. 
b. O. repens, Linn. Prostrate or ascending, viscidly villous, stoloni- 
ferous, spinous or not, leaflets broader, flowers large, pod usually 
shorter than the calyx. A seaside form. ] 
2. O. reclinata, Linn. (fig. 234). Small Ononis.—An erect annual, 
3 or 4 inches high, slightly hairy, and often viscid, the lateral branches 
decumbent at the base. Leaflets small, varying from broadly obovate 
to very narrow. Flowers small, pale pink, hanging from short erect 
pedicels, forming short, terminal, leafy racemes. Petals scarcely exceed- 
ing the calyx, or shorter. Pod rather smaller, containing 10 or 12 seeds. 
On sands and dry banks near the sea, very common round the 
Mediterranean, and here and there on the shores of the Atlantic, up 
to Alderney in the Channel Islands, and again on sea cliffs in Devon, 
and near the Mull of Galloway, on the south-west coast of Scotland. 
Fl. early summer. 
V. MEDICAGO. MEDICK. 
Herbs (with one exotic shrubby species), with leaves pinnately 
trifoliolate ; the leaflets usually toothed; the leafy stipules adhering 
to the leafstalks; the flowers small, in short spikes or loose heads, on 
axillary peduncles. Calyx 5-toothed. Keel obtuse. Stamens diadel- 
phous, the upper one entirely free. Pod small, with few seeds, very 
much curved or spirally twisted, and indehiscent. 
A rather numerous genus in the Mediterranean region and a portion 
of central Asia, with a few species extending as weeds over a great 
portion of the elobe. To determine the annual species it is absolutely 
necessary to have the fruit, as some cannot be distinguished by any 
other character. 
Perennials, with conspicuous purple or pale yellow flowers. 
Stems mostly erect. Flower purple. Pod forming 2 or3 spires 2. M. sativa. 
Stems decumbent. Flower pale yellow. Pod not forming a 
complete spire . } : d . Ll. M. faleata. 
Annuals, with very small, bright yellow flowers. 
Pod small, 1-seeded, not for ming acomplete spire. . 3. M. lupulina. 
Pod several- seeded, spirally twisted, edged with prickles. 
Plant downy. Stipules nearly entire ; : . 6. M. minima. 
Plant nearly glabrous. Stipules finely toothed. 
Pod nearly globular, of 3 or 4 spires, furrowed at the edge 
between the prickles 
Pod of 2 or 3 flat, loose, strongly- veined spires, not fur- 
rowed at the edge ; 
on 
. M. maculata. 
ae 
. M. denticulata. 
