PAPILI0NACE7E. 



193 



In open pastures and waste places, 

 widely spread over Europe and western 

 Asia, extending northwards to southern 

 Sweden. Eare in Britain, and only in 

 some of the southern and eastern coun- 

 ties 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. 



Fig. 236. 



VI. MEMLOY. MELILOTITS. 



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 

 five -toothed. Petals falling off after fading, the keel obtuse. Sta- 

 mens diadelphous, the upper one entirely free. Pod of one or very 

 few seeds, straight, thick, small, but longer than the calyx, and inde- 

 hiscent. 



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 Clover, but their inflorescence gives them a very different aspect. 

 From Trigonel they differ chiefly in the short, thick pod, usually with 

 only 1 or 2 seeds. 



Flowers white 3. White M. 



Flowers yellow. 



Pod irregularly net-veined and wrinkled. Stem usually 2 



or 3 feet high 1. Common M. 



Pod transversely wrinkled. Stem usually under 2 feet 



high 2. Field M. 



1. Common Melilot. Melilotus officinalis, Linn. (Fig. 237.) 



{Trifolium, Eng. Bot. t. 1340.) 



An annual or biennial, usually erect, 2, 3, or even 4 feet high, branched 

 and glabrous ; the leaves usually distant, on long leafstalks. Stipules 

 VOL. I. Q 



