164 
25. LEGUSirNOSiE. 
approach very closely to 31. tribuloides Desr. var. y. (31. littoralis 
Rohde) : but even when the pods are more than usually thick- 
ened and rugulose, they are scarcely rude and corky, and the 
spinules are vastly more minute and delicate, and always 
radiant like little spur-rowels. The fr. is also larger and orbi- 
cular or more flattened vertically, and the stip. are more spa- 
ringly or inconspicuously fringed or laciniate. It must be owned 
however that this form of the sp. presents a completely transi- 
tional or intermediate step from the unarmed var. /3. ( 31. Helix 
Willd. of authors) through 31. littoralis Rohde to 31. tribuloides 
Desr. 
I formerly referred (Journ. of Bot. viii. p. 292) Bourgeau’s 
31. tribuloides no. 768 in BII. to the present pi. : but his no. 768 
in HH. gathered at the same place and time is certainly 31. 
tribuloides y. supra : and therefore the BH. example, though 
in itself somewhat ambiguous, is most probably the same. This 
shows however how closely the two pi. 31. Helix a. and tribu- 
loides y. (31. littoralis Rohde) run into each other. 
(3. inermis ; ped. about the length of the 1. } 2-8-, mostly 
3-6-fl. ; pods lenticular clustered nearly or quite unarmed even 
(not rugulose) altogether thin and membranous or foliaceous ; 
diam. 3-3|, ax. 1^ lines. — 31. Helix Willd. Sp. PI. iii. 1409? 
(DC. ii. 174 under 31. Icevis Desf.) ; Moris Sard. 1. c. t. 39. A. — 
Ilerb. ann. PS. reg. 4, rrr. Summit of Pico do Gastello on the 
walls of the old fortress. April, May. — Merely a more robust 
luxuriant form of a, growing m a higher cooler moister instead 
of low dry sandy situation. St. stouter and longer, ped. rather 
shorter with more numerous fl. and larger clusters of pods than 
in a ; the pods also flatter and more foliaceous. 
Characterized in both its varr. by its more delicate habit and 
small lfts. ; and particularly from a. and /3. of 31. tribuloides Desr. 
by the comparative smallness of all its parts, by its less divided 
or fimbriated narrower stip. and smaller flattened discoidal 
membranous unarmed or delicately spimdose veined pods. St. 
from 6-12 in. long rigid wiry hard and very tough, pubescent. 
Lfts. 2- 4 or 5 lines long villose. Fl. large lemon-y., wings as 
long as keel and both nearly as long as standard. Pods orbi- 
cular flattened at each end, very peculiar in appearance ; in a. 
like little spur-rowels, with few very short and distant minute 
fine radiating spikes, which are sometimes reduced to scarcely 
more than little points not reaching beyond the keel, and thus 
passing gradually into [3, in which they are quite obsolete or 
evanescent} in a. the pods have sometimes a little of the rugose 
thickened corky appearance of the pods of 31. tribuloides, but 
in (i. they are much more even, thin and membranous (remind- 
ing one, except in size, of those of 31. orbicidaris Willd.), and 
