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T R I 
T R I 
T R I 
monopetalous ringent and falcated flower. 
1 he stamina are four extremely long fila- 
ments ; and four roundish seeds are contained 
m the cup. d here are three species. 
'! 1UDAX, a genus of the syngenesia poly- 
gainia superflua class of plants, with a radiated 
llower, and the lesser hermaphrodite ones of 
the disc monopetalous, and funnel-fashioned. 
I he seeds are winged with down, and con- 
tained in the cup. There is one species. 
THIENTALIS, chickzveed iviuttr-green, 
a genus of plants of the class heptandria, and 
order monogynia, and in the natural system 
ranging under the 20th order, rotucear. ‘ The 
calyx is heptaphyllous ; the corolla is equal 
and plane, and is divided into seven seg- 
ments; the berry is unilocular and dry. 
There is only one species, the europaea, 
which is indigenous, and the only genus of 
heptandria that is so. The stalk is single, five 
or six inches high, terminated with five, six, 
or seven oval pointed leaves; from the centre 
of which arise on long footstalks commonly 
two white starry flowers, each generally con- 
sisting of seven oval and equal petals, suc- 
ceeded by a globular dry berry, covered 
with a thin white rind, having one cell, and 
containing several angular seeds. 
TRIFOLIUM, trefoil or clover, a genus 
of plants of the class diadelphia, and order 
decandria, and in the natural system ranging 
under the 32d order, papilionaceac. The 
flowers are generally in round heads ; the 
pod is scarcely longer than the calyx, uni- 
valve, not opening, deciduous. The leaves 
are three together. There are 5 1 species ; of 
which 17 are natives of Britain. We shall 
describe some of the most remarkable of 
these : 
1 . Officinale or melilot, has naked racem- 
ous pods, dispermous, wrinkly, and acute, 
with an erect stalk. It grows in corn-fields, 
and by the way-sides, but not common. The 
stalk is erect, firm, striated, branched, and 
two or three feet high ; the leaves ternate, 
smooth, obtusely oval, and serrated ; the 
flowers are small, yellow, pendulous, and 
grow in long close spikes at the tops of the 
branches ; the pod is very short, turgid, 
transversely wrinkled, pendulous, and con- 
tains either one or two seeds. The plant has 
a very peculiar strong scent, and disagree- 
able, bitter, acrid taste, but such, however, 
as is not disagreeable to cattle. The flowers 
are sweet-scented. It has generally been I 
esteemed emollient and digestive, and been 
used in fomentations and cataplasms, parti- 
cularly in the plaster employed in dressing 
blisters; but is now laid aside, as its quality 
is found to be rather acrid and irritating than 
emollient or resolvent. It communicates a 
loathsome flavour to wheat and other grain, 
so as to render it unfit for making bread. 
2. Trifolium repens, white creeping trefoil, 
or Dutch clover, has a creeping stalk, its 
llower gathered into an umbellar head, and 
its pods tetraspermous. It is very common 
m fields and* pastures. It is well known to be 
excellent fodder for cattle ; and the leaves 
are a good rustic hygrometer, as they are 
always relaxed and flaccid in dry weather, 
but. erect in moist or rainy. 
3. Trifolium, pratense, purple or red clover, 
is distinguished by dense sp.kes, unequal co- 
rollas, by bearded stipailas, ascending stalks. 
and by the calyx having four equal teeth. 
The red clover is common in meadows and 
pastures, and is the species which is generally 
cultivated as food for cattle. It abounds in 
every part of Europe, inNoith America, and 
even in Siberia. It delights most in rich, 
moist, and sunny places, yet flourishes in 
dry, barren, and shady places. See Hus- 
bandry. 
4. Alpestre, long-leaved purple trefoil, or 
mountain-clover. The spikes are dense ; the 
corollas somewhat equal ; the stipulas are 
bristly and divergent ; the leaflets lanceolat- 
ed ; the stalks stiff, straight, and very simple. 
It grows in dry, mountainous, woody places, 
in Hungary, Austria, and Bohemia, & c. ; but 
is not said to be a native of Britain. 
5. The medium has been confounded with 
the two species last mentioned ; but it is to 
be distinguished from them by having loose 
spikes, corollas somewhat equal, stipulas su- 
bulate and connivent, and stalks flexuose and 
branched. It is found in dry elevated situ- 
ations, especially among shrubs, or in woods 
where the soil is chalky or clay, in England, 
Scotland, Sweden, Denmark, &c. 
TRIGLA, gurnard, a genus of fishes of 
the order of thoracici. The generic character 
is, head large, mailed, and marked by rough 
lines ; gill-co.vers spiny ; gill-membrane seven- 
rayed ; finger-shaped processes, in most spe- 
cies, near the pectoral fins. 
1. Trigla gurnardus, grey gurnard. Length 
from one to two feet, or more ; colour above 
deep grey, with blackish and red spots, be- 
neath silvery ; scales small ; lateral line very 
strongly marked, and consisting of a series of 
larger, rounded, whitish scales with a dusky 
central spot. Native of the European seas, 
and not uncommon about our own coasts, 
feeding on worms, insects, &c. 
2. Trigla lyra, piper gurnard. Size nearly 
equal to the former species ; lateral line 
formed of small scales ; colour bright rose- 
red, silvery beneath ; scales small ; pectoral 
fins large, and slightly tinged with dull blue ; 
tail of similar colour ; the other tins yellow- 
ish, with red rays. Native of the European 
seas, and considered as an excellent fish for 
the table. 
3. Trigla cuculus, cuckow gurnard. An 
elegant species. Length about a foot; shape 
more slender than in the preceding kinds ; 
colour, on the upper parts, a beautiful red, 
more or less distinctly marked by whitish 
transverse bars, beneath silvery ; scales ex 
tremely small; lateral line composed of 
pointed white scales edged with black ; a 
similar row on each side the back ; fins trans- 
parent ; the first dorsal marked on the edge 
by a black spot, the second tinged near its 
edge with yellow. Native of the European 
seas, and esteemed as a food. 
4. Trigla hirundo, sapphirine gurnard. 
Size equal to that of the grey gurnard ; scales 
middle-sized; lateral line rough; pectoral 
fins very large, of a violaceous olive, some- 
times, according to Mr. Pennant, richly 
edged and spotted with blue. Native of the 
European seas, occasionally springing out of 
the water to some distance by means of its 
large pectoral fins. 
5. Trigla volans, flying gurnard. A highly 
singular and beautiful species. Length about 
twelve inches.; colour crimsou’above, pale or 
whitish beneath ; head blunt, and armed on 
each side with two very strong and large 
spines, pointing backwards ; whole body co- 
vered with extremely strong carinated and 
sharp-pointed scales, so united as not to be 
distinctly separate; first dorsal fin pale , 
violet, crossed with deeper lines, and at its 3 
origin two separate rays longer than the rest ; 
second dorsal fin pale, with the rays barred 
with 'brown; pectoral fins extremely largeJ 
transparent, of an olive-green, richly varied] 
with numerous bright-blue spots; pectoraL 
processes six in number, and not separate, as : 
in other species, but united into the appear- 
ance of a small fin on each side the thorax ; ! 
tail pale-violet, with the rays crossed by 
dusky spots, and strengthened on each side : 
the base by two obliquely transverse bony -j 
ribs or bars. Native of the Mediterranean, 
Atlantic, and Indian seas, where it swims in 
shoals, and is often seen flying out of the 
water to a considerable distance, in the man- 
ner of the genus exocoetus. There are in 
all 14 species. 
TR1GLOCH1N, a genus of plants of the 
class hexandria, and order trigynia, and in 
the natural system ranging under the fifth: 
order, tripetaloidaj. The calyx is triphyllous ; 
the petals are three ; there is no style ; the 
capsule opens at the base. There are three 
species, of which the palustre and maritimum 
are British. 
1 . Palustre, or harrow-headed grass, has an 
oblong bilocular capsule. The stalk is sim- 
ple, eight or ten inches high ; the leaves long 
and narrow ; the flowers are greenish, and 
grow at the end of a long spike. It is frequent 
in moist ground; 
2. Maritimum, or sea-spiked grass, has 
ovate sexlocular capsules ; the staik is short ; 
the spike long, and flowers purplish. It is 
frequent on the sea-coasts. Linnaeus says 
that cattle eat these two species with avidity. 
TRIGONELLA, fenugreek, a genus of 
plants of the class diadelphia, and order de- 
candria, and in the natural system arranged 
under the 32d order, papilionacea;. The 
vexillum and alae are nearly equal and patent, 
resembling a tripetalous corolla. There are 
12 species, of which the most remarkable is 
the fcenumgraecum, or fenugreek, a native of 
Montpelier, in France. Fenugreek is an 
annual plant, which rises with a hollow, 
branching, herbaceous stalk, a foot and a half 
long, with trifoliate leaves, placed alternately, 
whose lobes are oblong, oval, indented on 
their edges, and have broad furrowed foot- 
stalks. Fenugreek seeds have a strong dis- 
agreeable smell, and an unctuous farinaceous 
taste, accompanied with a slight bitterness! 
The principal use of these seeds is in cata- 
plasms and fomentations, for softening, matu- 
rating, and discussing tumours ; and in emol- 
lient and carminative clysters. They are an 
ingredient in the oleum e mucilaginibus of the 
shops, to which they communicate a con- 
siderable share of their smell, but this is not 
now in use. 
TRIGONIA, a genus of the diadelphia 
decandria class and order of plants. The 
calyx is five-parted; petals five, unequal; 
nect. two scales at the base of the germ ; 
filaments some barren ; capsules leguminous, 
three-cornered, thrCe-celled, three-valved. 
There are two species, of Guiana. 
