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Now turn your attention to thofe Medicd- 
yellow flowers, like fmall buttons, ^* 
that grow fo plentifully among the 
grafs. It fomewhat refembles the 
flower of the Hop, but is much lefs. 
You would fuppofe it a Trefoil: it 
is indeed naturally of that family : it 
is a Medicago, which differs from the 
genus Trifolium in the carina of the 
corolla being jprefTed down from the 
vexillum, and particularly in its pod 
being comprefTed and fpiral. The 
fhape of the florets that compofe 
thefe yellow heads, and the number 
of very minute Jlamina will inform 
you that it is of the Clafs and Order 
Diadelphia Decandria, and the fpe- 
cies, Ivpulina, is determined by the 
fpikes being oval, the pods reniform, 
containing a (ingle feed, and the ftems 
trailing. Former botanifts called this 
plant Medica: Linnaeus chofe to call 
it Medicago. 
Whether Virgil meant this fpecies may 
be doubtful : however the Medica is among 
the plants which he advifes to be fown in 
the Spring. 
s 2 Vere 
