Trifolium repens. Dutch Clover. 
TRIFOLIUM L'mruei Gen. PL Diadelphia Decandria 
Flores fubcapltati. Legumen vix calyce longius, non dehifcens, deciduum. 
Pan Synopf. Gen. 24, Herb® feoee papilionaceo seu leguminosse. 
TRIFOLIUM capitulis umbellaribus, leguminibus tetrafpermis, iaule repente. Lin. Syji. Fegetub. 
p. 572. Sp. Pl.p^ 1080. ¥hr. Suec. n. 665. 
TRIFOLIUM caule repente ; ipicls depreffis ; iiliquls tetrafpermis. Haller Hiji. n, 367. 
trifolium repens Scopoti. Fl. Carniol. 
TRIFOLIUM prateiife album C. B. pin. 327. 
TRIFOLIUM minos pratenfe, flore albo Ger. mac. iiSj, Psrhkfon. ilio. Rem. Syn.p. gl-j. White- 
flower’d Trefoil. 
Hudfon. Fl. Jngl. ed. 1. p. 3 ? 4 » 
Lightfoct Fl. Scot. p. 404. 
RADIX perennis, fibrofa. 
CAULES plurimi, repentes, late fparfi, tei'etes, lim- 
plices, glabri, virides, feu purpurafceiites. 
STIPULiE ovato-lanceolatje, venofe, veais purpuraf- 
centibus. 
FOLIA tenia, variabilia, nunc ovata, obtufa, nunc 
obcordata, emarginata, acute ferrata, viridia, 
feu purpurafcentia, macula lunulata albicante 
plerumque notata. 
PEDUNCULI longiflimi, erefli, ftrlati. 
FLORES plerumque albi, purpurafceiites etiam oc- 
currunt. glomerati, junioribus ere£tis, ma- 
turis deflexis, fufcis. 
CAPITULA majufcula, pricfertim in culta planta, 
fphiErica. 
CALYX: Perianthium monophyllum, quinqueden- 
tatum, iaepius coloratum, ftriis decem eleva- 
tis notatum, dentibus fetaceis, duobus lupe- 
rioribus paulo longioribus. i. 
COROLLA papilionacea, calyce duplo longior; Vex- 
illum oblongum, fubemarginatum, reflexum, 
fg. 2. Alje duas, vexillo multo breviores; 
Jig. 3. Carina breviffima, bafi bifida./^. 4. 
STAMINA: Filamenta dladelpha, fimplex etnovem- 
lidum ; fg. 5. 6. Anthers parv®, luteae. 
PISTILLUM: Germen oblongum, teretiufculum ; 
Stylus fabulatus, longitudine germinis ; 
Stigma flavefcens, capitatum, fg. 7. 
PERICARPIUM: Legumen oblongum, teres, mu- 
cronatum, torulofum. 8. continens 
SEMINA duo ad quatuor. fg. 9. 
i ROOT perennial and fibrous. 
I STALKS numerous, creeping, fpreading wide, round, 
i unbraiiched, fmooth, green, or purplifli. _ 
I STIPULtE ovate and pointed, veiny, the veins 
purpiilh. . 
i LEAVES growing three together, variable as to their 
I Ihape, being fometimes ovate and blunt, 
I fometimes inverlely heartfhaped and notched 
♦ at the end, fharply fawed round the edge, 
^ of a green or purplifli colour and having 
moft commonly a whitifh mark in the center. 
♦ FLOWER-STALKS very long, upright and ftriated. 
I FLOWERS generally white, but fometimes purplifh, 
I growing in a clufter, the young ones upright, 
? the old ones hanging down and becoming 
I brown. 
I HEADS large, efpecially in the cultivated plant, and 
t of a round fhape. 
I CALYX: a Perianthium of one leaf, having ten 
teeth, generally coloured, marked with ten 
i ribs, the teeth briftle-Ihaped, the two up- 
I permoft fomewhat the longeft. fg. i. 
i COROLLA papilionaceous, twice the length of the 
I calyx; Standard oblong, flightly notched 
at the extremity, and turning back ; fg. 3. 
^ W ING s two, much fhorter than the flandard ; 
I fS 3 * Reel very fhort, divided at the bafc. 
5 AK' 4 - 
I STAMINA: ten Filaments, one fingle, the reft 
I united into one body ; fg. 5. 6. AntheRrE 
I fmall, and yellow. 
I PISTILLUM: Germen oblong, roundilh ; Style 
% tapering, the length of the germen ; Stig- 
I MA yellowilh, forming a little head. fg. 7. 
I SEED-VESSEL: an oblong, round, jointed pod, fg. » ; 
I terminating in a point and containing 
♦ SF.F.D?? from two to four. /?T. o. 
THE creeping or Dutch Clover may be confidcred as one of our moft valuable Britifti plants, the greateft part 
of the feed'ufed in this country is imported from Holland, where it is cultivated on account of its feed, and hence 
it has acquired the name of Dutch Clover, as it is a plant which grows naturally wild in this country, on dry, 
graveliv, and indifferent foils, it is probable it might alfo be cultivated for the fame purpofe in many parts ot 
Great Britain, where land and labour are cheap, and that to great advantage. 
The quantity of Seed fold annually in this country is aftoniftiingly great, Meflrs. Gordon and uermer who do 
not particularly deal in this article fell every year forty or fifty tons weight of it. 
Thofe plants which have creeping roots or ftalks have the advantage of moft others in point of growth, and 
when a plant of this kind growing naturally in a barren foil, comes to have the advantage of cultivation, it 
flourilhes amazingly, fo does the Dutch Clover, a fingle feedling of which I have known in a garden to cover 
more ground thaii*a yard fquare, in one furamer. 
Althouo-h this plant does not grow fo tall as fome others, yet the vaft number of ftalks, leaves, and blol- 
foms which it throws out produces a great bottom in a pafture, and thereby ftamp a particular value on it. ^ 
It is not a plant however which makes any great figure in the fpring, but its chief excellence confifts in its 
producing herbage in dry fummers, late in the feafon, when moft of the grafles are burnt up, ir then covers the 
fields with a beautiful verdure, and affords plenty of food to the Cattle, or hay for a fecond crop. 
There is an idea very prevalent among farmers, that afhes alone fpread on land will produce this plant in 
abundance, they do not know, or will not believe, that the plant previoufly exifted in the ground, and is only 
render’d larger and more confpicuous by the manure. 
Of the Frtfolium repens I have obferved two remarkable varieties, viz. one with leaves of a deep purple colour, 
cultivated in gardens as an ornamental plant, the other proliferous, having fmall heads of leaves growing out 
of the flowers, this 1 found feveral years ago on the left-hand fide of the canal, leading from Limeboufe to 
Bromley., there are likcwife feveral other varieties, which depend on the richnefs and poverty of foih 
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