Medicago lupulina. Hop Medic k. 
MEDICAGO Linnai Gen. PI* DiAdelphia Decandria. 
Legumen comprefliim, cochleatum. Carina corolla: a vexillo defle&ens. 
Rail Syn. Gen. Herba; flore papilionaceo seu leguminosa. 
MEDICAGO lupulina fpicis ovalibus, leguminibus reniformibus monofpermis, caulibus procumbentibus. 
Linn. Syjl* Veget ab. p. 577. Flor. Suecic. n. 678. 
MEDICA caule difFufo, capitulis hemifphasricis, filiquis reniformibus. Haller hijl. No. 380. v. 1. 
MEDICA lupulina. Scopoli FI. Carniol. No. 940. 
TRIFOLIUM pratenfe luteum, capitulo' breviore. Bauhiit. pin. 328. 
TRIFOLIUM luteum lupulinum. Gerard emac. 1186. Raii Syn. 331. Melilot Trefoil. 
TRIFOLIUM montanum lupulinum. Parkinfon i 105. 
Hudfon. FI. Angi. ed. 1. p. 282. ed. 2. p. 330. 
Lightfoot. FI. Scot. 
RADIX biennis, fuliformis, paucis fibrillis inftru&a, 
profunde penetrans. 
CAULES procumbentes, numerofi, pedales, fuban- 
gulofi, hirfutuli, ramofi. 
FOLIA terna, obcordata, aut obovata, obtufiufcule 
dentata, mucrone brevi lata terminata, mol- 
lia, pubefcentia, averfa praecipue parte. 
STIPULAE duge, ovato-lanceolata:, acuminata:, den- 
ticulatae. 
SPICULAE primum fubrotund^e, poftea ovales, apici- 
bus fubincurvatis, bafi ad unum latus nudis. 
CALYX : Perianthium monophyllum, fubpilofum, 
quinquedentatum, dentibus inaequalibus, tri- 
bus inferioribus longioribus, duobus fuperio- 
ribus brevioribus, remotis. 
COROLLA lutea, parva. Calyce longior ; Vexillum 
reflexum, emarginatum, inferne patens ; Ala; 
et Carina: minima:, fubtequales. 
STAMINA: Filamenta connexa: An thera lu- 
tes. 
PISTILLUM : Germen fubovatum comprefliim : 
Stylus longitudine Staminum, craflum, fur- 
fum curvatum : Stigma capitatum. 
PERICARPIUM : Legumen reniforme, comprefliim, 
rugofum, nigrum, fpiraliter cochleatum, fub- 
villofum, fig. 1 . 
SEMEN unicum, ovatum, lteve, flavefcens, fig. 2. 
t ROOT biennial, tapering, furnifhed with few fibres, 
I and penetrating deep into the earth, 
f STALKS procumbent, numerous, about a foot long, 
I fomewhat angular, flightly hairy, and bran- 
X ched. 
i LEAVES growing three together, inverfely heart or 
I egg-fhaped, fomewhat bluntly indented, ter- 
X minated by a broad fhort point, foft, pubef- 
| cent, particularly on the under fide. 
X STIPULAE two, ovato-lanceolate, acuminated, notch- 
ed with little teeth. 
I SPICULAE, firfl roundifh, afterwards oval, the tips 
X fomewhat incurvated, and naked at bottom 
on one fide. 
I CALYX a Perianthium of one leaf, fomewhat hai- 
ry, having five teeth, which are unequal ; 
the three lowermoft longeft ; the two upper 
X ones fhorter, and remote from each other. 
I COROLLA yellow, fmall, longer than the Calyx i 
I Standard turning back, with a flighj notch, 
X fpreading below : Wings and Keel very 
I fmall, and bending below. 
X STAMINA conne£ted by the Filaments : An the- 
ra yellow. 
I PISTILLUM : Germen fomewhat oval and flat : 
X Style the length of the Stamina, thick, and 
I bending upwards : Stigma forming a little 
X head. 
¥ SEED-VESSEL: a kidney-fhaped Legumen, flat, 
I wrinkled, of a black colour, fpirally twilled, 
and flightly villous, fig. 1 . 
I SEED Angle, oval, fmooth, and of a yellowiih colour, 
I fig- 2- 
MANY of our firefioils bear a confiderable affinity to each other, and the prefent plant is often confounded with 
fome of them : but fimilar as it may be in its leaves, its parts of fructification will always direft the fludent aright 
in his inveftigation of it ; its feed-vefl’ells in particular, being totally different from thofe of the fir ef oils. vid. fig. 1, 2. 
The leaves and ftalks of this plant are frequently more hairy than thofe firefioils for which it is liable to be 
miftaken, except the fiubterraneum, which is ufually fmaller ; and in general the more barren the foil in which this 
plant grows, the more downy does it appear : by culture it grows much larger and becomes fmoother. 
Its flowers are fmaller and more clofely compadted than thofe of the firifolium agrarium and procumbens, to both 
of which it bears a great fimilarity ; nor are the fpikes fo exadtly round as in thofe plants, but ufually of an oval, 
or oblong fhape, particularly when fomewhat advanced ; and when the feeds are ripe, the plant is diftinguilhed at 
firfl fight, by its black feed-veflells. 
The Hop Medick has of late years, been much cultivated in different parts of the kingdom ; and in different 
counties, it has been diftinguilhed by different names, as thofe of firefoil, Black Seed, and Non-uch. 
As the name of firefoil tends to confound this plant with the true firefioils, or Genus firifolium, I have ventured 
to call it Hop Medick, there being already a plant called Hop firefoil, viz. firifolium agrarium, which though not at 
prefent in culture, may perhaps be introduced at fome future period. 
The Hop Medick is often fown by itfelf, and often with Ray Grafs ; and though it does not produce fo large a 
crop as the Broad-leaved Clover, it is fuppofed to afford a fweeter one, and a food particularly adapted to Sheep. 
Its natural fituation is a dry one, and its foil landy, hence we find it wild on dry banks and on hilly paflures, 
flowering in June and July. Its feed is ripe in Auguft. 
