MeDICAGO ARABICA. HeaRT MeDICK, or ClaVER. 
MEDICAGO L/n. Gfn. PI. Diadelphia Decandria, Legumen compreflbm, pochleatum, C^rlt/a 
coroUiC a vexillo defledlens. 
Rail Syn. Gen. 23. Herb.$ flore papilionaceo seu leguminosa:. 
MEDICAGO polymorpha leguminibus cochleatis, flipulis dentatis caule difFufo. Lin. SyP. Fegeiab. p 
577. Sp. pi. 1097. 
MEDICA foliis emarginatis, ferratis, racemis pauclflons, filiquis globofjs echinatis. Pliller. hiji n 
383* 
polymorpha. Scopoli FI. Carn. n. 942. 
TRIFOLIUM cochleatum folio cordato maculato. Bauhln. pin. 329. 
TRIFOLIUM cordatum Ger. emac. 1190. Park. 1115. Raii Syn. 333. Heart Trefoil or Claver. 
Hiidjon. FI. Angi. ed. 2. p. 331. 
RADIX annua, fibrofa. | ROOT annual and fibrous. 
CAULES pliires, pedales, et ultra, procumbentes, an- | STALKS numerous, about a foot in length, or more 
gulati, ftriati, purpurafcentes, pilofi, ramofi. t procumbent, angular, flriated, purplifh, hai- 
I ry, and branched, ’ 
FOLIA terna, obcordata, mucronata, obfolete ferrata, | LEAVES growing three together, inverfely heart-flia- 
licvia, macul& purpurea in medio notata. | ped, terminated by a ihort point, faintly 
^ fawed, fmooth, with a purple ipot in the 
^ middle of each. 
PETIOLI fuperne canaliculati, pilofi. | LEAF-STALKS above grooved and hairy. 
STIl'ULyE bins, femifagittatae, ferratte. _ | STIPULAE two, the fhape of half an arrow, and ferrated. 
FLORES plerumque bini, pedicellati, pedunculis tere- t FLOWERS growing generally two together, flanding 
tibus, pilofis, petiolis brevioribus | on footftalks which are round, liairv, and 
minima, ad baiin cujufvis pedicelli, et feta j fhorter than the footftalks ; Braa^'a'vtry 
pilofa inter flofculbs longitudine florum. | fmall, at the bafe of each flower-ftalk, and a 
I haiiy feta or brillle betwixt the flowers of 
I the fame length with the flowers- 
CALYX : Perianthium monqphyilum, tubulolum, | CALYX : a Perianthium of one leaf, tubular, fome- 
fubcampanulatum, pilofum, femiquinque- ^ what bell-fhaped, hairy, divided half way 
fidum, laciniis acuminatis, fubisqualibus, | down in five fegments, which are pointed, 
purpurafcentibus. Jig. i- ^ nearly equal and purplift. Jig. i. ’ 
COROLLA papilionacea, flava; ^w/V/awfubrotundurn, COROLLA papilionaceous, and yellow; Standard 
emarginatum, reflexum, lineis laturate flavis | roundifh, notched at the end, and turning 
adbafin notatum. /5-. a.^/rf-duic, parvic, vex- J back, marked at its bafe with lines of a 
illo breviores, croceae, apice paulo fecedentes. | deeper yellow colour, fg 2. IVings two, fmall, 
concava, obtufa, alis paulo longior. | Ihorter than the ftandard, faffron coloured’ 
' I feparatir.g a little from one another at the 
I tips. Keel hollow, blunt, a little longer than 
d ^ the wings, fg. 
STAMINA: Filamenta diadelpha, coalita fere a i STAMINA: Filaments uniting into two bodies al- 
apices, tubus furfum curvatus; Anthera: J to the tip, tube bending upward ; An- 
mlnimae, flavse, /^.3.4. T ther^ very minute and yellow. fig.^-Or- 
PISTILLUM: Germen viride, oblongum, fubtusubi | PISTILLUM: Germen green, oblong, below where 
ftylus incipit emarginatum, cito fefc fpiraliter | the ftyle begins notched, foon fpirally twift- 
contorquens, et fuperne fpinulas agens ; Sty- j ing itfelf, and from its upper part throwing 
Eus fubulatus, eredbus; Stigma terminale, | out little fpines ; Style tapering, upright; 
minimum. Jig. .5 6. Stigma terminal, and very minute. Jig. 3. 
PERICARPIUM : fubrotundo-cylindraceum, | SEED-VESSEL: a of a roundilh cylindrical fhape, 
utrinque truncatum, fpinulofum, fpiraliter t cut off at each end, fpinous, and fpirally twilled 
contortum Jig. 7. | tip. 7. 
SEMEN majufculum, reniforme, flavefcens. fg. 8. | SEED rather large, kidney-lhaped, andyellowilli. 8. 
The plant here figured is intended to reprefent the ‘Trfolium cochleatum folio cordato maculato of Bauhine and 
Ray and the Medicago polymorpha var. arablca of LiNNAius ; how far it is in itfelf a variety, how far Linna;us 
and fome other authors are juftified in making fo many varieties of one fpecies *, or how far others are right in di- 
viding one genus into fo many fpecies efpecially Monsieur Gerard, it would ill become me to determine, 
this plant and this only of the prefent tribe as far as I have hitherto feen Is common in the neighbourhood of 
London ; future obfervation added to culture may perhaps enable me hereafter to fpcak more decidedly on the 
fubjeft. 
The prefent plant is fubje-St to confiderable variation in fize as alfo with refpedl to the brightnefs of the 
fpots on its leaves. 
It flowers in May and June. 
On the edges of Charlton Sand-pits it grows in very great plenty and Is not uncommon on banks and the bor- 
ders of fields in a variety of other places. 
When it grows luxuriantly one is tempted to fuppofe that It wou’d afford good fodder for cattle, it feems at 
leaft to deferve a trial. 
• Ai the trbicularU, JcuteHata, tornata, turbinata, intertexta, arablca, coronata, ciliaris, hirfuta, ripdula, minima, muricata, nijra, laciniata. 
Liuna-i Sji. Feptub. p. 578. 
