66 WILD FLOWERS OF THE BRITISH ISLES 
Sickle Medick. (MedicagfO falcata, Linn.) — Another similar plant, with yellow flowers, 
prostrate stems, and sickle-shaped pods. 
Very rare. Sandy places in the eastern counties. June — July. Perennial. 
Black Medick, Nonsuch. (Medieagfo lupulina, Linn.)— Flowers small, yellow, in dense, 
oblong heads. Pods black, i -seeded, kidney-shaped (reniform). [As described in the genus 
Medicago]. Stems 6-24 inches long, prostrate, spreading, and hairy ; the leaves divided to 
the midrib into 3 leaflets (pinnately trifoliate), which are finely toothed and inversely egg-shaped 
(obovate), with broad, finely-toothed stipules. This little plant may be easily mistaken for one of 
the small yellow clovers until the fruit is examined. [Plate 33. 
Very common. Pastures, waste ground. June — August. Annual or biennial. 
Toothed Medick. (Medieagro denticulata, Willd.)— A similar species, with the 
bright yellow flowers solitary or 2-5 together; the pods closely spirally coiled, bordered with 
2 rows of spines ; the stems smooth ; the leaves inversely heart-shaped (obcordate) ; and the stipules 
jagged. 
Rare. Sandy places in the south and east of England. April — August. Annual. 
Spotted Medick. (MedicagfO arabiea, Huds.) — Very like the Toothed Medick but 
generally larger, the leaves having a purple spot in the centre, the stipules being toothed, and the 
pods spirally coiled into prickly balls. 
Not common. Gravelly soil in the south and west of England. May -September. Annual. 
Little Bur-Medick. (Medicago minima, Desr.) — A species similar to the last two, but 
smaller and downy, the flowers minute, yellow, the pods spirally coiled into prickly balls but 
smaller and with longer prickles than in the Spotted Medick, and the stipules entire or very slightly 
toothed. 
Rare. Sandy places in the south-east of England. May — July. Annual. 
MELILOT. (MELILOTUS, HALL.) — Flowers small, drooping, yellow or white, in erect, long, 
terminal clusters (racemes). Calyx of 5 united sepals, bell-shaped (campanulate), terminating in 5 
teeth; petals 5, butterfly-shaped (papilionaceous), the standard scarcely spreading; stamens 10, 
9 united together, the tenth free (diadelphous). Fruit a pod, short, but longer than the calyx, 
straight, oval, or oblong, few-seeded, not opening by valves but decaying to free the seeds 
(indehiscent). Herbs with leaves divided to the midrib into 3 finely-toothed leaflets (pinnately 
trifoliate), with the stipules adhering to the leaf-stalks. 
Common Yellow Melilot. (Melilotus officinalis, Lam.)— The only true native 
(as just described). Flowers £ inch long, bright lemon-yellow, in long, terminal clusters ; the 
petals 5, all equal in length, twice as long as the sepals; pods small, oval, pointed, hairy, 
1-2-seeded ; and the stem 2-3 feet high, erect and branched. [Plate 33. 
Fairly common. Waste places. June — August. Annual or Biennial. 
*white Melilot (Melilotus alba, Desr.), a species with small white flowers and 
smooth pods; *Field Melilot (Melilotus arvensis, Wallr.), with pale yellow or white flowers 
and smooth brownish pods ; and *Small-flowered Melilot (Melilotus indica, All.), with very 
small pale yellow flowers and smooth round olive-green pods, are occasionally to be found, but 
they are not natives. 
CLOVER. (TRIFOLIUM, LINN.) — Flowers small, white, red, or yellow, stalkless (sessile) or 
nearly so (sub-sessile), in dense oval heads. Calyx of 5 united sepals, bell-shaped or tubular, 
terminating in 5 teeth, generally unequal ; petals 5, narrow, butterfly-shaped (papilionaceous), 
remaining with the fruit (persistent); stamens 10, 9 united together, the tenth free 
