T R I F O L I U M medium.
Zigzag Trefoil.
D I A D E L P H I A Decandria.
G e n . C h a r . Flowers more or lefs capitate. Pod fcarcely
longer than the calyx, never burfting, but falling
off entire.
S p e c . C h a r . Spikes lax. Petals nearly equal. Sti-
pulas awl-fhaped and conniving together. Stems
zigzag and branching. Afzelius.
S y n . Trifolium medium. Linn. Faun. Suec. ed. 2.
P' 558. Hudf. FI. An. ed. 1. 284. Afzelius Tr. of
Linn. Soc. V. 1 . 2 3 7 .
T . flexuofum. Jacq. FI. Auftr. V. 4. tab. 386.
With. Pot. Arr. 795.
T . alpeftre. Hudf. FI. An. ed. 2. 326.
T . purpureum majus, foliis longioribus et anguf-
tioribus, floribus faturatioribus. Rail Syn. 328.
-A . F T E R the mod elaborate and accurate differtation of
Mr. Afzelius above quoted, it would be vain to attempt any
new obfervation upon this Trefoil, or the two other fpecies
which he has illuilrated. This is found in dry elevated paftures,
preferring a chalky foil, or a gravelly one with a clay bottom,
and differs from T. alpeftre (which is not a Britifh plant) in having
larger and more lax heads of flowers, broader and fhorter
leaves, a branched ftem, ftipulse approaching each other, and
ribbed; from T. pratenfe, Common Clover, it differs in its lax
heads of flowers, longer and narrower ftipula;, and more unequal
calyx : from both it is diftinguifhed by its remarkably
zigzag ftem. The root is perennial, and the flowers appear in
July.
This fpecies is faid not to be eligible for cultivation, as it does
not thrive in a good loofe foil 5 but Prof. Martyn juftly remarks,
(Flora Ruftica, No. 5.) that it may therefore fucceed on ftub-
born hungry clay, like its native places of growth.