100 



WEEDS A^'D USEFUL PLANTS. 



Root perennial. Stem, 1-2 feet high, branched, smoothish. Leaflets half an inch to an 

 inch long — the lateral ones subsessile, the terminal one petiolulate ; common petiole one- 

 fourth to three-fourths of an inch long. Racemes erect, on peduncles half an inch to an 

 inch long. Corolla violet-purple, nearly twice as long as the calyx. 



Introduced : cultivated. Native of Spain. jFZ. June -July. !Fi-. August. 



Ohs. This was formerly cultivated on a small scale, as a fodder ; but 

 it did not find favor ^vith our farmers, and is now rarely seen in Pennsyl- 

 vania. It might answer, for soiling, in suitable situations — though I 

 think the stem is too ligneous and wiry to become a favorite fodder, 

 where the red clover can be had. Its culture is successful in Northern 

 Mexico, where it is cut several times during the season. The Samt-foin 

 {Hedi/sarum Onohrychis, L., or Oncbrychis sativa, Lam., a plant of the 

 Hedysarwn tribe), is much cultivated for fodder, on the calcareous soils 

 of Europe— and the late Mr. Ckawfoed, of Georgia, interested himself 

 in endeavoring to introduce it into the Southern States ; but I do not 

 learn that its culture was adopted to any extent. I have never met with 

 it on any farm ; and presume it scarcely belongs to the Agriculture of 

 this country. 



2. M. lupidi no, L. Stem procumbent, pubescent ; leaflets wedgo- 

 obovate, denticulate at the apex ; flowers in short spikes, yellow ; legumes 

 reniform 1-seeded. 



Hop-like Medicago. Black Medick. Nonesuch. 



Biennial? Stem 6-12 inches long, somewhat branched, procumbent. Leaflets % 3.n 

 inch to nearly an inch long, sometimes nearly rhomboid. Common pdioles X of an inch 

 to an inch in length. Heads of flowers at first roundish, finally oblong, on slender pedun- 

 cles 1-2 inches long. Legumes black at maturity. 



Fields, kc. Nat. from Europe. June -Aug. 



Obs. This species which, when in flower, resembles a yellow clover, 

 is quite common in pastures in England, and is sparingly naturalized in 

 this country. Several other species, recognized by their spirally coiled 

 pods, are sometimes found in waste places, their seeds having been intro- 

 duced in wool. ^ 



5. EOBI'NIA, L. Locust-tree. 



[Name in honor of John and Ye'^pasian Robin; French Botanists.] 



Calyx short, 5-toothed, slightly 2-lipped. Vexillum large and rounded, 

 reflexed, scarcely longer than the wings and keel. Legume compressed; 



Fig. 76. A curv ed pod of Lucerne (iledicago sativi'm) . 



