The BRITISH HERBAL. 
3^3 
del- pedicles rifing from the bofoms of the 
leaves. 
The feed-vefiels are fmall and twilled. 
Ic is a native of the warmer parts of Europe, 
and flowers in May. 
All authors call it Medica fatlva, and Fa:7jum 
Burgundkum. 
The name lucerne^ now applied to this plant, 
was ac one cime given by the French to the cockf- 
head, and its former name faintfoin was given to 
this. There is no faying which is right, for 
both are arbitrary ; and it is not eafy to difcover 
which was the original application. 
The antients were very fond of this plant as 
fodder for their cattle. We read with aftonilH- 
ment the pains they beftowed upon its culture. 
From the antient the knowledge travelled to the 
modern Italy, and thence to France and Flanders : 
of very late years we have got into the ufe of it 
in England ; and it is one of the greateft of the 
modern improvements in hufbandry. 
It is a rich and excellent food tor ail kinds of 
cattle. 
The common wild medkas poilefs in general the 
fame qualities, but in an inferior degree. They 
enrich paftures wherein they grow and a good 
ufe might be made of them, by fcattering the 
feeds among the grafs in grounds non very fertile. 
2. Snail-Trefoil. 
Medica frullu cocbleato J^u 
The root is long, flender, and furnifhed with 
numerous iibres. 
The firfi; leaves are placed on fmall foot- 
ftalks, and grow, as in the others, thrre on each : 
they are oblong, moderately broad, {harp-pointed, 
ferrated at the edges, and of a lively green. 
The (talks are numerous, flender, branched, a 
foot or more in length, but not very upright. 
The flowers Hand on flender footflaiks rifing 
from the bofoms of the leaves, and they are yel- 
low. 
The feed-vefiel is very large, fmooth, of a pale 
green, and twifted in the manner of a fn.iil. 
The feeds are few and large. 
It is a native of Italy. We fow it in gardens 
for the fingularity of the fruit. 
C. Bauhine calls it TrifoUum cochleaUtm fniBu 
rotundiore. 
3. Caterpillar-Trefoil. 
Medica fru^it convoluto afpero. 
The root is long, (lender, and hung with 
many libres. 
The ftalks are -numerous, weak, flender, 
branched, and a foot or more in length. 
The leaves ftand thick upon them, three at 
each joint, on a long, flender footfl:alk : they are 
fliort, broad, obtufe, and of a fomewhat oval 
form, but inverted, or with the fmaller part 
below. 
The flowers are little and yellow. 
The feed-veflTels are large, twirled about, and 
rough ; fo that they have the appearance of a 
green, hairy caterpillar rolled up. 
It is a native of the Ea(t, and of the warmer 
parts of Europe. We keep it in gardens. 
C. Bauhine calls it TrifoHum fniElu comprejjo 
fplnis horrido. 
From this and the fotmer fpecies the induftry 
of our gardeners has raifed a vafl many va- 
rieties, which have been defcribed by many a| 
difl:in<5l fpecies. This is the common error : 
but LinuEEUS is in the extreme on the other 
fide. He rightly retrenches many ; hut he makes 
botli thefe and the common wild kind the 
fame fpecies. This is plainly an error ; becaufe 
the form of the leaves, as well as the fruit, 
differ. 
4. JMoon-Trefoil, 
Medica filiqiiis lunatis. 
The root is long and flender, and has very few 
fibres. 
Tlie flalks are numerous, weak, and of a pale 
green ; they are a foot high, and branched. 
The leaves have long, flender pedicles ; three 
fliand on each : they are oblong, broad, dented, 
und of a fine green. 
The flowers are fmall and yellow : they ftand 
on fliovt, fmall footfl:alks in the bofoms of the 
leaves. 
The fecd-velTel is broad, fiat, and notched at 
the edges : it is turned round; fo that it repre- 
fents a new qioon. The feeds are few and brown; 
It is found about the edges of vineyards in 
Italy. 
C. Bauhine calls it I'rifolum fdlqua foUata. 
Others, T'rifolium Itmatum. 
5. Srubby Moon-Trefoil. 
Medica Jiliqu'.S luiiatis frutefcens. 
The root is woody, long, divided, and fpread- 
ing. 
The fl:em alfo is woody, tough, and very much 
branched : the trunk is covered with a grey bark; 
but the twigs arc green or greyiOi. 
The leave:; fl:and on long footftalks, three upon 
each : they are oblong, obtufe, and largefl: at the 
ends ; and are of a greyifli green. 
The flowers grow three together ufually on 
flender footftalks, and they are fmall and yellow. 
The feed-veflTel is fiat, and turned round in 
form of a crefcent ■, but it is fmooth on the edge, 
not nicked as the preceding. 
The feeds are large, angulated, and brown. 
It is a native of the Eaft, and flowers in 
Auguft. 
Authors have miftaken its proper genus : they 
have in general ranged it among the cytifi. 
C. Bauhine calls it Cytifus incantts filiquis foliatis. 
Lobel, Cytifus maranta ; a name copied by moft 
others. 
N" 31, 
GENUS 
