Medicago^ XXV. PAPILIONACEA 107 



annual, so like the last in foliage, stipules, and flowers, that, without 

 the fruit, it can be scarcely distinguished but by a few spreading hairs 

 on the leafstalks, visible when held up against the light. It is often 

 also more luxuriant, the leaflets have usually a dark spot in the centre, 

 and the flowers are fewer in the raceme. The pod has 3 or 4 spires, 

 much more compact than in M. denticulata, giving the whole pod a more 

 globular form, the surface is less veined, and the edge thicker, more or 

 less furrowed between the prickles, which are finer and more curved. 

 M. arabica, All. 



In cultivated and waste places, in western and southern Europe to the 

 Caucasus and Persia, rarely extending into Germany. Not uncommon, 

 especially in southern England ; found also in southern Ireland, but 

 not in Scotland. Ft. spring and summer. 



6. M. minima, Lam. (fig. 240). Bur M. — An annual, like the last 

 two, but usually smaller and more compact, and clothed with short, 

 soft hairs or down. Stipules entire or very shortly toothed. Flowers 

 few, minute, on short peduncles. Pod smaller than in the last two 

 species, nearly globular, of 2, 3, or 4 compact spires edged each with 

 a double row of hooked prickles. 



In Open pastures and waste places, widely spread over Europe and 

 western Asia, extending northwards to southern Sweden. Pare in 

 Britain, and only in some of the southern and eastern counties of 

 England. Fl. spring and summer. Like other species, it varies much 

 in the size of the pods and the length of the prickles ; in Britain they 

 are usually small. 



VI. MELILOTUS. MELILOT. 



Herbs with leaves pinnately trifoliolate, the leaflets usually toothed, 

 the stipules slightly adhering to the leafstalks, and small yellow or 

 white flowers, in long, loose racemes on axillary peduncles. Calyx 5- 

 toothed. Petals falling off after fading, the keel obtuse. Stamens 

 diadelphous, the upper one entirely free. Pod of 1 or very few seeds, 

 straight, thick, small, but longer than the calyx, and indehiscent. 



A genus of few species, all south European or west Asiatic, but some 

 spreading over most parts of the world. They were formerly united 

 with Trifolium, but their inflorescence gives them a very different 

 aspect. From Trigonella they differ chiefly in the short, thick pod, 

 usually with only 1 or 2 seeds. 



Flowers white 3. M. alba. 



Flowers yellow. 



Pod irregularly net-veined and wrinkled. Stem usually 2 or 



3 feet high 1. M. officinalis. 



Pod transversely wrinkled. Stem usually under 2 feet high . 2. M. arvensis. 



The M. parviflora, Desf., common in almost all warm countries, espe- 

 cially near the sea, has appeared occasionally as an introduced weed 

 in the neighbourhood of London and of Liverpool. It is near M. 

 officinalis, but a smaller weaker plant, the flowers and fruits very much 

 smaller, the pod very obtuse and prominently net-veined. 



1. M. officinalis, Willd. (fig. 241). Common M. — Anannual or biennial, 

 usually erect, 2, 3, or even 4 feet high, branched and glabrous ; the 

 leaves usually distant, on long leafstalks. Stipules narrow. Leaflets 

 of the lower leaves obovate or nearly orbicular, those of the upper ones 



