MED • . 
This genus of plants is ranged in the fame fedion 
and clafs, as the former by Tournefort and Linnaeus. 
The Species are, 
1. Medic ago ( Marina ) pedunculis racemofis, legumi- 
nibus cochleatis, fpinofis, caule procumbente tomen- 
tofo. Hort. Cliff. 378. Medicago with branching foot- 
fiaiks , fnail-fhaped prickly pods , and a trailing woolly 
flalk. Medica Marina. Lob. Icon. 38. Sea Medick , or 
Snail 'Trefoil. 
2. Medicago ( Scutellata ) legumiftibus chochleatis, in- 
ermibus ftipulis dentatis caule angulofo diffufo, foli- 
olis oblongo ovatis acute dentatis. Medicago with 
fmooth f nail- f 3 aped pods , indented ftipula , an angular dif- 
fufed fialk , and oblongs oval , [mall leaves , Which are 
floarply indented. Medica fcutellata. J. B. 2. 384. Snail 
Trefoil , commonly called Snails. 
3. Medicago (T ornato ) leguminibus tornatis inermibus, 
ftipulis acute dentatis foliolis ferratis. Medicago with a 
turned fmooth pod , acute indented ftipuH , and the fmall 
leaves fawed. Medica tornata minor lenis. Park. 
Theat. 1 1 1 6 . Snail Trefoil with a f nailer , turned, fmooth 
fruit. 
4. Medicago (. Intortexta ) leguminibus cochleatis fpi- 
nofiffimis aculeis Utrinque tendentibus. Medicago with 
very prickly fnail-fhaped pods , whofe fpines point every 
way. Medica magno frudu, aculeis furlum & deor- 
fum tendentibus. Tourn. Inft. R. H. 411. Snail Tre- 
foil with a large fruit, whofe fpines point upward and 
downward , commonly called Hedgehog. 
5. Medicago (. Laciniata ) leguminibus chochleatis fpi- 
nofis, foliolis acute dentatis tricufpidifque. Medicago 
with prickly fnail-fhaped pods , whofe lobes are acutely in- 
dented, and terminate in three points. Medica cochleata 
dicarpos capfula rotunda fpinosa, foliis eleganter dif- 
fedis. H. L. B. Snail-fhaped T refoil, having a double 
fruit with a round prickly capfule, and elegant cut leaves. 
There are many other fpecies of this genus, which 
grow naturally in the warm parts of Europe,, and are 
frequently preferved in botanic gardens for the fake 
of variety •, but thefe are rarely cultivated in other 
gardens, fo it would be befide my purpofe to enume- 
rate them here. 
The firft fort grows naturally on the borders of the 
Mediterranean Sea ; this is a perennial plant, with 
trailing woolly branches about a foot long, which are 
divided into fmall branches, garnifhed with fmall, tri- 
foliate, downy leaves at each joint, Handing upon 
Ihort foot-ftalks. The flowers are produced from 
the fide and at the ends of the branches, in fmall 
clufters ; they are of a bright yellow colour, and are 
fucceeded by fmall roundiflh fnail-fhaped fruit, which 
are downy, and armed with a few Ihort fpines. The 
flowers appear in June and July, and the feeds ripen 
in September. 
This plant is propagated by feeds, which Ihould be 
fown upon a warm border of dry foil in the fpring, 
where the plants are defigned to remain 5 when the 
plants are come up, two or three of them may be 
tranfplanted into fmall pots to be fheltered in win- 
ter, becaufe in very fevere froft, thofe which are in 
the open air are frequently deftroyed ; though they 
will endure the cold of our ordinary winters, if they 
are growing in a dry foil and a fheltered fitu&ion. 
Thofe plants which are left remaining, will require no 
other culture but to thin them where they are too 
clofe, and keep them clean from weeds. This fort may 
be propagated by cuttings, which may be planted 
in June or July, in a fhady border, covering them 
clofe with a glafs to exclude the external air j thefe 
will take root in about fix weeks time, and may then 
be either planted in a warm border or in pots, and 
treated in the fame way as the feedling plants. 
The fecond fort is an annual plant, which grows na- 
turally in the warm parts of Europe, but in England 
it is frequently cultivated in gardens for the oddnefs 
of its fruit, which is twifted in the form of a fnail • 
and as it ripens turns to a dark brown colour, fo as to 
have the appearance of fnails feeding on the plants at 
a diftant view. This hath trailing branches ; the 
flowers are of a pale yellow, and come out -from the 
M E L 
fide of the branches. Thefe appear in June and July, 
and the feeds ripen in the autumn. It is propagated 
by feeds, which fhould be fown in the middle of April, 
where the plants are to remain ; and the plants fhould 
be thinned where they are too clofe, and kept clean 
from weeds, which is all the culture they require. 
The third fort is alfo an annual plant, which grows 
in the fame countries as the former. This hath trail- 
ing branches, and yellow flowers like the fecond fort, 
but the fruit is much longer and clofer twilled, fo as 
to refemble the figure of a veffel called a pipe, being 
lefs at each end than in the middle. This is frequently 
kept in gardens for the fake of variety, and may be 
propagated and treated in the fame way as the fecond 
fort. 
The fourth fort is an annual plant, which was for- 
merly more cultivated in the Englilh gardens than 
at prefent. The ftalks, leaves, and flowers, are like 
thofe of the two former forts, but the fruit is much 
larger, and clofely armed with long fpines like a 
hedgehog, from whence it had the title j thefe fpines 
point every way, fo that it is difficult to handle the 
fruit without fmarting for it; This is propagated by 
feeds in the fame way as the fecond fort, and the plants 
require the fame treatment. It flowers in June, and 
the feeds ripen in September. 
The fifth fort grows naturally in .Syria ; it is an an- 
nual plant, with trailing ftalks like ,the former ; the 
lobes of the trifoliate leaves are wedge-fh aped, fharply 
indented on the edges, and at jthe fop" have three 
acute points. The flowers are of a pale yellow, and 
the fruit is fnail-fhaped, but fmall, armed with many 
weak fpines. It flowers about the fame time with the 
former, and may be cultivated in the lame way. 
MEDLAR. See Mespilus. 
MELAMPYRUM. Tourn. Inft. R. H. 173I 
tab. y8. Lin. Gen. Plant. 660. MixIg-TTv^ov, of ^.ixac, 
black, and 73-vf;, Wheat.] Cow Wheat; 
The Characters are, 
The flower has a permanent empalement of one leaf, which 
is tubulous, cut into four fegments at the brim. .The flower 
is of the lip kind, having an oblong recurved tube com- 
preffed at the brim ; the upper lip is formed like a helmet * 
and is compreffed and indented at the top \ the wider lip 
is plain, erect, and cut into three fegments at the top, 
which are equal and obtufe .- It hath four awl-fhaped 
flamina which are curved under the upper lip, two of 
which are floor ter than the other, terminated by oblong 
fnmmits, and in the center is Jituated an acute-pointed ger- 
men, fupporting afingle fiyle crowned by an obtufe ftigma. 
The empalement afterward turns to an oblong acute-pointed 
capfule with two cells, incloflng two pretty large oval 
feeds. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the fecond fedion 
of Linnaeus’s fourteenth clafs, which contains thofe 
plants whofe flowers have two long and two fliorter 
ftamina, and the feeds are included in a capnfule. 
The Species are, 
1. Melampyrum ( Prctenfc ) floribus fecundis latera- 
libus, conjugationibus remotis, corollis claufis. Flor. 
Suec. 513. Cow Wheat with fruitful foot-ftalks of 
floivers ft anding at a diftance , and the petals fhut. Me- 
lampyrum luteum latifolium. C. B. P. 234. Broad- 
leaved yellow Cow Wheat. 
2. Melampyrum ( Criftatum ) fpicis quadrangylaribus 
bradeis cordatis compadis denticulis imbricatis. Flow 
Suec. 510. Cow Wheat with quadrangular fpikes, and 
heart-Jhaped brableao, which are imbricated.% Melampyrum 
luteum anguftifolium. C. B. P. 234. Yellow narrow- 
leaved Cow Wheat. 
3. Melampyrum ( Arvenfe ) fpicis eonicis laxe bradeis 
dentato-fetaceis. Flor. Seuc. 5 il Cow Wheat with 
loofe conical fpikes, and briftly indented broMea. Melam- 
pyrum purpurafcente coma. C. B. P. 234, Cow Wheat 
■ with purpliflj tops. 
4. Melampyrum ( Nemorofum ) floribus fecundis' latera- 
libus bradeis dentato cordato lanceolatis, film mis, 
coloratis fterilibus, calycibus lanatis. Flor. Suec. 512’ 
Cow Wheat with fruitful lateral flowers, heart flpear- 
f haped ~ bralle a, flerile coloured tops , and woolly empale- 
^ S ' mints . 
40I 
