2823
LOTUS hispidus.
Hairy Bird’s-foot Trefoil.
D 1AD E LPH IA Decandria.
Gen. Char. Legume cylindrical, somewhat spongy
within and imperfectly many-celled. Keel acuminate.
Spec. Char. Annual, hairy. Stems prostrate. Heads
about three-flowered. Legumes about six times
as long as broad.
Syn. Lotus hispidus. " Loiseleur, FI. Gall. v. 2.
491. t. 16.” Pers. Syn. v. 2. 354. DeCand.
Prod. v. 2. 212.
L. angustissimus j3. Hooker, Brit. FI. ed. 3. v. 1.
334.
iFOTJN D by Mr. J. Woods,near theCastle at Dartmouth,
in June 1828; and in July 1836 in Jersey, where Lotus
angustissimus also occurs.
Root small but firm. Stems numerous, prostrate. Leaves
covered with long hairs. Leaflets varying from obovate
and quite obtuse, to elliptic-acute. Stipules ovate, oblique,
one side being frequently cordate. Heads on stalks much
longer than the leaves, but rarely twice as long; furnished
with a simple or ternate floral leaf. Partial stalk about as
lon<r as the tube of the calyx. Flowers from 1 to 5, but by
far the most usual number is 3. Calyx campanulate, fringed
with long hairs. Pods about twice as long as the calyx,
rather turgid, about one-twelfth of an inch in diameter,
containing about a dozen slightly compressed seeds of a
bottle-green colour. .
The more numerous and congregated flowers, and their
darker colour, readily distinguish this plant at first sight
from Lotus angustissimus, but its claim to be considered as