TRIFOLIUM Linnççi Gen. PL D iadelphia D ecandria.
T/om fubcapitati. Legumen vix calyce longius, non dehifcens,
deciduum.
Raii Syn. Gen. 23. Herbæ flore papilionaceo seu leguminosæ.
TRIFOLIUM ornithopodioides leguminibus nudis o&ofpermis fubternis, calycibus duplo longioribus,
cauhbus declinatis. Linnæi Syfi. Végetab. p. 571. Sp. PL 1078.
MEDICAGO leguminibus ternatis, ereftis, reçurvis, defcendentibus, pedunculo'communi. Hort.
V if- 376-
TRIFOLIUM filiquofum loto affine filiquis omithopodii. Pluk. phyt. t. 68. ‘fig. 1.
FÆNUMGRÆ.CUM humile repens, omithopodii filiquis brevibus ereftis. Raii Syn» p . 331,
Fenugreek with Birds-Foot Trefoil Pods, tab. 1^. fig. 1. Hudfon FL AngL
p. 282,
Oeder FL Han. icon. 368.
J-ightfoot FL Scot. p. 403,
■ RADIX fimplex, albida, fibrofa, tuberculis obfita. $
I GAULES plures, procumbentes, in humidiore aut 0
pmguiore fold palmares aut fefquipalmares %
alias vix quanarantales, crafTiuiculi, et fub- h
rigid i. |
<>
■ FOLIA perexigua, terna, obcordata, profunde den- |
ticulata et veluti erofa, laevia, venis re£tis |
non jamofis, fig. 7. y
■ STIPULES ad bafin foliorum bin^e, magnas, venofae, f
acuminatae.' |
■ FLORES axillares, carnei, pedunculis breviffimis in- *
fidentes, terni, bini aut etiam folitarii. |
$
■ CALYX; Perianthium tubulofum, quinquedenta-$
turn, perfiftens, laeve, ftriatum, dentibus $
acuminatis, nudis> duobus fuperioribus Ion- |
gioribus, fig. 1. ?
■ COROLLA papilionacea ; V exillum reflexum : %
A lm divergentes, fig. 2. 9
■ PISTILLUM; German oblon gum, villofum, fig. 3. f
■ PERICARPIUM: L egumen magnum, calyce duplo $
longius, apice mucronatä incurvä, in duas |
valvulas itgre dehifcens, fig. 4, g. $
■ SEMINA fex ad decern, difformia, pallida, raacu- f
lata ,fig .6 . |
ROOT fimple, whitilh, fibrous, and befet with little
knobs or tubercles.
STALKS numerous and procumbent, in a moift or
rich foil from four to fix inches in length,
but moft commonly from two to three,
thickilh for the fize of the plant, and fome-
what rigid.
LEAVES very fmall, growing by threes, inverfely
heart-fliaped, deeply notched, fo as to appear
as if gnawed, fmooth, the veins ftraight,
and not branched, fig. 7.
STIPULAE at the bafe o f the leaves two, large, veiny,
and pointed.
FLOWERS axillary, pale red, fitting on exceedingly
Ihort foot-ftalks, growing three or two together,
fometimes fingly.
CA L YX ; a Perianthium which is tubular, with
five teeth, permanent, fmooth, firiated, the
teeth acuminated, naked, the two uppermoft
longeft, fig. 1.
COROLLA papilionaceous; the Standard turning
back; and the Wings feparating, fig. 2.
PISTILLUM; G ermen oblong and villous, jig. 3.
SEED-VESSEL, a large L egumen, twice the length
o f the Calyx, the tip ending in a point and
bending downward, with difficulty fplitting
into two valves, fig. 4, g.
SEEDS from fix to ten, irregular, pale, and fpotted, . fo &
[ This little plant is perhaps more common in this
Ibeen overlooked from its minutenefs.
country than is generally imagined, and has probably
■ I B B g g to delight in a dry, expoled, gravelly, or Tandy foil, in which the Armaria rubra, Trifolium
M raneum, Fefiuca ovma, and Sagina ereCla ufually grow.
*n Tothillfields, Wejlminjler, and on Blackheath.' Mr. H udson mentions its
I ■ S near Penzance, in Corn-mall; and Mr. L igh t f oo t in Scotland.
Ronlv^bv^ant -S T like the Trif olium Mterraneum, ftrikingly vifible at a diftance, but is to be difcovered
|he other rrry-n§ V ‘T® near the §round- When once found> there is no difficulty in diftinguifhing it from
iits feed VPP,Cles’ l l : f f ve? are fmooth’ and much notched or gnawed at the edges; its flowers are pale red;
Somewhat I f B K S l B l large, and growing moft commonly two or three together, in which ftate they
ieecl-vefl,»lc r 6 a .blrds claw, but not in fo great a degree as the Ornitkopus, or true Bird’s-foot does: the
■ GIlels are iometimes fi’ngle. J
| ^ dvated in n garden, it grows to a much larger plant than is reprefented on the plate.