MEDICAGO FALCATA, A YELLOW-FLOWERED ALFALFA. 13 
BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION AND RELATIONSHIP. 
BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION. 
The description of Medicago falcata given by Linneus in 1753 
(40), when the binomial was first published, merely indicates that 
the peduncles are racemosely arranged, that the pods are crescent 
shaped, and that the stems’are prostrate in habit of growth. This, 
as a matter of fact, can scarcely be considered as a description, since 
it is in reality only a part of an analytical key to certain species of 
the genus Medicago. Various descriptions, however, have appeared 
since that of Linneus. A fairly good one was published by Lamarck 
in 1789 (31) and another by Martyn in 1792 (43). 
The difficulty of preparing a satisfactory description becomes at 
once apparent upon consideration of the numerous forms of the 
species. Many of the early ones are confusing because their authors 
failed to recognize the existence of hybrids among the forms which 
they attempted to describe, and all of them are imperfect, since in 
no place was a complete collection of the forms of the species avail- 
able. Even at this time, with the work of others from which to 
draw and with the abundant material at hand, it is far from easy 
to prepare a description that will present a comprehensive view of 
the species. The diversity of M/edicago falcata inspires the investi- 
gator at once with the desire to attempt a classification that will fit 
all existing forms. However, it requires only a little investigation 
to convince one of the hopelessness of such a task. 
In the main there are two difficulties in the way of developing a 
satisfactory scheme of classification—the lack of consistency in the 
combinations of characters and the practical impossibility of deter- 
mining from one generation of plants whether a form is of pure or 
hybrid origin. There is, however, a certain correlation of characters 
which permits a general grouping, although intergrading forms are 
so common that it frequently is difficult to differentiate the mass even 
into broad groups. 3 
To serve as a basis for further discussion of botanical characters 
it seems advisable, first, to present some rather detailed data, includ- 
ing observations and careful measurements made in connection with 
the study of a large number of plants secured from many sources, 
these constituting a composite description of the species. Following 
these data an attempt is made to correlate certain characters and to 
define the principal groups and describe them in the abstract. It is 
hoped that this method of treatment, together with illustrations 
reproduced from photographs, will convey a reasonably clear idea 
of the appearance of the striking forms of Medicago falcata. 
