PAPILIONACE^]. 



187 



the leaflets often reduced to a single 

 one. Flowers large, bright yellow soli- 

 tary or in pairs, on slender pedicels, 

 in the axils of the old leaves, forming 

 handsome leafy racemes along the upper 

 branches. Petals all broad, the standard 

 broadly orbicular, the keel often deflected 

 as in Genista. Pod 1J to 2 inches long, 

 flat, hairy on the edges, but glabrous on 

 the sides, the seeds attached to a line 

 considerably within the edge of the pod. 



On dry, hilly wastes and bushy places, 

 chiefly in western Europe, but extend- 

 ing more sparingly to its eastern limits, 

 and northward into southern Sweden. 

 Common in England, Ireland, and the 

 greater part of Scotland. Fl. spring 

 and early summer. 



The Irish Broom, of our gardens is the 8. patens from Portugal, 

 not a native of Ireland. The Spanish Broom belongs to the genus Spar- 

 tium. Other shrubs called Brooms in our gardens are species of 

 Gytisus. 



Fig. 228. 



IV. ONONIS. ONONIS. 



Herbs or low undershrubs, with pinnately trifoliolate, or rarely simple 

 leaves ; the leaflets generally toothed ; the stipules leafy, adhering to 

 the leafstalk ; the flowers solitary, on axillary peduncles, often forming 

 terminal leafy racemes. Calyx with 5 narrow segments. Standard 

 large and striate. Keel terminating in a pointed beak. Stamens all 

 united in a sheath. Pod inflated, with few seeds. 



A rather numerous genus, chiefly from the Mediterranean region, 

 and not extending far into Asia. The denticulate leaves are like those 

 of the Clover group, whilst the stamens are monadelphous, as in Genista 

 and its allies. 



Much branched perennial or undershrub, often thorny . 1. Restharrow O. 

 Small, erect annual 2. Small O. 



1. Restharrow Ononis. Ononis arvensis, Linn. (Eig. 229.) 



(Eng. Bot. t. 682, and Suppl. t. 2659. O. campestris, Bab. Man.) 



Very variable in aspect, generally a low, spreading, much branched 

 undershrub, often rooting at the base or creeping undergound, some- 



