MEDIC AGO. 
165 
in both varr. not reticulated, but with a few remote oblique 
transverse veins. The spinules when present never exceed half 
the diam. of the pod in length, and always stand straight out 
horizontally, like rays, in the plane of the pod, not (as some- 
times in 31. tribuloides Desr. and as in 31. littoralis Rohde) 
bending alternately up and down vertically parallel to the axis ; 
they originate from a rib parallel to and below the sharp pro- 
minent keel on each side of it. Volutions in both varr. close 
and compact, almost always 4. 
I follow, though with some doubt even with regard to /3, 
considering Willdenow’s descr. and synonym, the high authority 
of Mr. Benthani in referring this pi. to 31. Helix Willd. When 
spec, of a. collected by me in 1828 were first shown to him some 
years ago by the late Dr. Lemann, he had considered it a new 
sp. allied to his M. reticulata from the S. of France and Spain : 
and I accordingly proposed it as distinct in the J. of Botany 
under the name of M. calcar. Subsequently I found it had been 
previously named by Webb on his plate t. 56 figuring the sp., 
M. canariensis Benth., although in the text of his Phytograph i a 
Can. it is referred to M. Helix W. — Lemann (in litt.) had rightly 
considered it nearer to M. littoralis Rohde than to M. reticulata. 
Willdenow insists on the pods in his M. Helix having only two 
distant volutions, and quotes with a F M. Icevis Desf. ii. 213, a 
pi. described as having its st. smooth and pods “ scarcely 2- 
whorled.” He adds, “ Leg. fere ut in M. obscura sed anfr. binis 
non arete adpressis diversa. A sequenti (31. tomato) distincta 
leg. non cylindricis, anfr. tantum binis.” This seems to point to 
something different from even [3. of my pi., which is however 
assuredly 31. Helix of Moris and of De Heldreich !, Parlatori !, 
Pavilion !, Bourgeau ! in HIT., &c. 
Not found in Mad. : but in P t0 S t0 taking the place of the 
Madeiran 31. tribuloides a. and /3, which on the other hand have 
not been found in P t0 S t0 . 
7. M. minima Desr. 
Silky-pubescent or villose hoary-grey ; stip. nearly entire or 
the lower sparingly toothed, ovate-lanceolate acuminate ; lfts. 
obovate or obcordate wedgeshaped and entire below, sparingly 
and sharply toothed at top, often 3-toothed; ped. short 1-3- 
mostly 2-fl. ; pods dark brown small globose somewhat hairy 
with 3-5 rather lax turns, densely spinose with straight crowded 
subdivergent slender spines mostly hooked at the tip, grooved 
and distinctly 2-forked at the base ; seeds reniform y. — DC. ii. 
