MEDIC AGO. 
163 
y. Fr. small, diam. 2} lines or 5 mill., ax. 2 lines or 4 mill., 
sliortly cylindric subdiscoidal, spines short and thick, reflexed. — 
M. littoralis Rohde, DC. ii. 177 ; WB. ! ii. 62 ; Koch 178; Bourg. ! 
PI. Can. no. 184 in BH. De Heldreich ! ex. exsicc. in BH. and HH. 
M. tribuloides Bourg. ! PI. Can. no. 768 in BH. and HI1. — PS. to 
the SW. of the town, Campo Debaixo, abund. Dec. 1856 (Sr. J. 
M.Moniz). — With the smaller foliage, though not the more deli- 
cate habit, of 31. Helix Willd. rather than of the two preceding 
varr. of M. tribuloides Desr., this is a completely annectent link 
between the two sp. Still it is a larger more robust pi. than 
M. Helix W. a. calcarata to which it otherwise approaches 
nearest, with stout stiff straight st. 3-4 ft. long, and villose grey 
or hoary lfts. Ped. a little longer than the 1., and 4-6-fl. Pods 
clustered smaller and less flattened than in M. Helix W., and 
coarser ruder or thicker in substance and formation, nearly or 
quite smooth with 3-4 volutions, and distinct remote short 
thick bulbous-conic spines, larger and stouter considerably than 
in any state of M. Helix a, and reflexed vertically up and down 
parallel with the axis, instead of radiating horizontally. — This 
form or var. has never occurred in Mad., whilst on the other hand 
the common Mad. M. tribuloides a. has not occurred in PS. 
Amidst all its variations in size of pods, their degree of 
smoothness, and the length and direction of their spines, M. 
tribuloides is usually recognizable by the fr. as it ripens becoming 
rude and thick or corky, and by the spines being more or less 
tumid thick or bulbous at the base. 
6. M. Helix W. 
Hairy-pubescent almost villose, greyish ; st. prostrate slender 
tough and wiry ; stip. lanceolate sparingly and remotely inciso- 
laciniate ; lfts. obovate sharply serrulate at top, the lower retuse ; 
ped. 1-8-fl. awned; pods orbicular discoidal pale rather small 
quite smooth membranaceous venose of 3-5 turns remotely and 
very shortly or minutely spinose, sometimes nearly or quite un- 
armed ; seeds or.-y. reniform oblong. — Varr. : 
a. calcarata ; ped. rather longer than the 1. ; 1-5-, mostly 
2-3-fl. ; pods discoidal slightly thickened and pitted or ru- 
gulose, their edge armed with minute distant very short 
straight radiant spinules ; diam. 3-3,}, ax. 2-2} lines. — 31. Helix 
13. spinosa WB. ! n. 61. t. 56 (31. canariensis Bentli.) ; M. Helix 
(3. spinulosa Moris Sard. i. 438. t. 39. B. 31. calcar Lowe in 
Hook. J. of Bot. viii. 291 and ix. 75. — Herb. ann. PS. reg. 1, 2, }. 
Sunny hill-sides here and there. Sloping banks at the back of 
the beach or foot of the sea-cliffs 2 miles to the E. of the town, 
and ascent (N. side) of Pico Debaixo abund. April, May. — 
This the normal state in P t0 S t0 of the sp. must be admitted to 
