114 THE PEAFLOWER TRIBE, 
In meadows and pastures, throughout Europe and Russian Asia, from 
the Mediterranean to the Arctic Circle, and having been long cultivated, 
it is now common in most temperate regions, Abundant in Britain. In 
Ireland believed to be of comparatively recent introduction, although it 
is now taken as the national emblem, in substitution of Oxalis Acetosella, 
which some writers regard as the original shamrock, Fl. the whole season. 
[A deep purple-flowered variety, 7’. elegans, Savi., occurs in the Scilly 
Isles. ] 
18. T. hybridum, Linn. (fig. 262). Alsike C—A glabrous perennial, 
allied to 7. repens, but never rooting at the joints, the stems ascending 
or erect, branched, and attaining, when luxuriant, nearly 2 feet. Stipules 
rather large. Leaflets obovate, bearing occasionally a mark in the centre, — 
as in 7’. repens. Peduncles axillary, longer than the leaves, bearing a 
globular head of pedicellate flowers, with rather more pink in their colour — 
than in the common 7’ repens, the pedicels similarly elongated and re- 
curved after flowering. Calyx and pod as in 7’. repens. 
In rich pastures and on the edges of woods, almost all over Europe, 
except the extreme north. Abundant in Sweden, but not indigenons to 
Britain. It has, however, of late years been much cultivated, and has 
fully established itself in several parts of England. Fl. summer. 
19. T. procumbens, Linn. (fig. 263). Hop C._—A slender annual, much 
branched at the base, glabrous or slightly downy, procumbent or nearly 
erect, 6 inches to a foot long, or rather more. Stipules broad and 
pointed. Leaflets obovate or obcordate, the central one at some 
distance from the others. Flower-heads loosely globular or ovoid, on 
rather long axillary peduncles, containing 30 to 50 small yellow flowers 
on very short pedicels ; in fading the flowers become reflexed, and turn 
pale brown, with a broadly obovate standard, distinctly marked with 
longitudinal furrows, and completely concealing the small, 1-seeded pod. 
In rather dry pastures and meadows, on the borders of fields, &c., 
throughout Europe and western Asia, except the extreme north. 
Abundant in Britain generally, but rare in northern Scotland. Fl. the 
whole season. In the first edition of this work I regarded this as the 
1’. agrarium of Linnzus, but the subsequent investigations of M. Puel 
and others having induced me to examine carefully Linnzus’s speci- 
mens, and the MS. notes in his “Species Plantarum,” I find that I was 
in error, and that Linnzus included both 7’. procumbens and 7’. minus 
under his 7’. procumbens, as one species, in which he is probably right ; 
but as the two forms are usually very different in aspect, at least in 
this country, I have retained them under Smith’s names. The true 
T. agrarvum is but little more than a variety of 7. spadiceum ; neither 
of them is British. | 
20. T. minus, Relh. (fig. 264). Lesser C.—Very near 7. procumbens, 
and perhaps a variety only, but more slender and procumbent ; the 
flowers smaller, usually 12 to 20 in a head, and of a paler colour; the 
standard not so broad, more folded, and only faintly striated. The 
central leaflet of each leaf is usually at some distance from the others, 
as in 7. procumbens, excepting sometimes in the lower leaves. Pedicels 
of the flowers much shorter than the tube of the calyx. 7’. dubsum, — 
Sibth. ! 
As common as 7’. procumbens over the greater part of Europe, but 
does not extend so far to the east or to the north, Jn Britain also as — 
