By Thomas Bruges Flowery Esq, 



113 



3. T. subterranean (Linn.) subterraneous Trefoil. Engl. Bot. 

 t. 1048. 



Locality. Dry sandy ground and gravelly places. Rare. A. Fl. 

 May, June. Area, 1. 2. * * * 



South Division. 



1. South-east District, " In plenty on the higher and drier parts 

 of Alderbury Common," Dr. Maton and Mr. James Hussey. 



2. South Middle District, " Sandy roadsides near Market Laving- 

 ton," Miss Meredith. 



This Trefoil is so named from the remarkable property possessed 

 by the calyces of the abortive flowers of burying themselves in 

 the sand, and thus anchoring as it were and detaining the seeds of 

 the fertile flowers. Smith in his "English Flora," gives the 

 following description of this curious process. " Flowers three or 

 four on each stalk at first erect, but before the fruit is perfected 

 each stalk is bent to the earth, throwing out from its extremity 

 between the flowers several thick white fibres starry at their tips, 

 which partly fix themselves in the ground, turning upwards to 

 embrace the fruit." 



4. T. repens (Linn.) Creeping Trefoil, White or Dutch Clover. 

 Engl. Bot. t. 1769. St. 15. C. 



Locality. Meadows, pastures, and waste ground, common. P. 

 Fl. May, September. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. General in all the Districts. 



Wherever this plant abounds spontaneously it is always considered 

 as an indication of the goodness of the soil, and this is well known 

 to farmers. The richness of meadows and pastures is naturally 

 owing to their abounding principally with the Trefoil, and others 

 of the same class, with a due mixture of the more acceptable 

 grasses. In fact, clovers like grasses play a most important part 

 in restoring fertility to land which has been exhausted by grain 

 crops. Their leaves gather food, carbonic acid and ammonia, from 

 the atmosphere ,which they store up in their roots and stems, and 

 these on decomposing afford food for cereals or other crops, which 

 are more dependent on a supply within the soil. In Ireland 

 " Trifolium repens " is believed to be of comparatively recent 

 introduction, although it is now taken as the national emblem in 



2 k 



