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Show 3° 2 The BRITISH HERBAL. occafions, that the placing too many fpecies under one com. We have obferved on preceding the greateft of all difficulties in the feience. This is no making is name, generical or term mon fent inftance; the fpecies of the ¢refoil, according to Linnzus, being pre the in as evident fo where too numerous for any rational method. It is plain that author aéted from neceMfity in this inftance ; his method allowing no generical dif. {ide the Aowers and fruit. But this is the great inconvenience tin@tions to be formed upon any part be great, that, were there noother reafon, it alone ought to prevail of that method; and indeed it is fo again(t the reception of his fyftem. He is obliged to acknowledge, that his generical character of the trefoil is imperfect : and he attempts to palliate the imperfection, by obferving, that other authors ken in the confideration of the leaves : but there is more chance have fucceeded no better who have ta when. thefe are taken to affift in the forming it, than when the for a certain and diftin% character, This is what we fhall attempt in the diftinétions of the fucceeding genera, flowers are confidered alone. Daves 1cOiN- ok of a bright red. Lhe feed-vefiel is fhort, and the feeds are few and roundith. It is common in our meadows and paftures, and flowers in June. C.Bavhinecalls it Trifolium pratenfe purpureum; t others follow him. fpecies, when fownin a favourable man1s what we call clover; the plant itfelf is properly a wild clover. Mr. Ray yes the clover of ourcultivated land as it fpecies 3 but itis no other way diff-rent Boneh Pi SeiiceSePak. Col ES; It is fingular in this plant, that the feed-veffels 1. Common white Trefoil. Trifolium pratenfe album. BY REST a: SiH : are like thofe from the n. he tops of the ftalks, and es in thick, longifh heads; and they are 7743. L py The root is long, flender, and hung with many fibres. The firft leaves are fupported on long, flender footftalks, of a pale green: three leaves grow on each footftalk; and they are of a deep green, broad, fhort, and marked with a white fpot ufually in formof a crefcent in the middle, The ftalks are numerous, fhort, and procum- bent : they divide into branches as they run upon the ground, and fend out in an irregular manner a great many leaves of the fame form and ftructure with thefirft, and the ftalks for the flowers among them: thefe are flender, like thofe of the leaves, and of the fame pale green. The flowers are fall and white; and they ftand a great many together, in a round, thick head. The feed-veflel is fhort, and contains four {mall feeds. It is common in ovr meadows and paftures, and flowers in June. C: Bauhine calls it. Lrifolium pratenfe album, and moft others ufe the fame name. It varies extremely in dry and barren foils. Some have from this accident made feveral imaginary fpecies ; and, on the other hand, others have fuppofed this itfelf not diftinét from the commonredtrefoil, but only a variety. This is as great an error as the other. Thecolour of the flower is the lea(t diftinction between them, as will be feen on comparing the defcriptions together. frequently hanging fo as to touch the ground, take root: they are fometimes drawn under the furface, or detained fo clofe to it, that duit falls over them, and buries them. Inthis condition the feeds grow beft of all, and fpeedily furnith abundance of new plants. The natural fize of the plant is not lar the leaft of the Aop-trefeils, its bran inches or more in length; but it will fomet grow muchbigger. It is common in dry paftures, and flow June. Ray calls it Trifolium pumilum fupi longis albis. Morifon, Trifolium a Subterraneum articulatum. Others, Tr culos fub terra condens. Trifolium hirfutum majus flore albe-/ The ftalks fpread about the ground: they are they are alfo of a pale green, and alittle hairy. he flowers are white: they grow atthe extremities of the ftalks, and on pedicles rifin 5o from the bofoms of the leaves : they do not grow in round heads, but only two or three together. The feed-veffels are fhort, and the feeds are few. Trifolium purpureumvulgare. Therootis compofed of numerous fibres. The firft leaves are placed on flender foorttalks three on each; and they are broad, fhort, a ofa deep green. The ftalks are numerous, and of a pale green: they are flender, branched, and eight or ten inches in length; but they ufually trail in part uponthe ground, The 303 7. Smooth teafel-headed Trefoil. Trifolium fiellatum glabrum, PFGZ,,¢ The root is long, flender, and furnifhed with many fibres, The ftalks are numerous, round, fmall, and tolerably erect: they are not much branched, and they are eight inches high. The leaves ftand on fhort, flender footftalks, three on each; and they are oblong, narrow. fharp-pointed, and of a dufky green. : The flowers ftand at the tops ofthe ftalks in oblong heads, refembling in fome degree thofe of the commonteafel: they are {mall and red, and they open morethan thofeofany of the other kinds at the end; whence the plant has obtained the name of ftarrytrefoil. Wehaveit in dry fandy places, efpecially near the fea, It flowers in July. Raycalls it Trifoliumftellatumglabrum. Others, gs. Little heart-leaved red Trefoil. La, Trifolium capitulis dipfaci; a name much more expreflive, um parvum foltis cordatis flore rubente. The root is compofed of a few flender fibres, joined to a fmall oblong head. ” The firft leaves are few and fmall: they ftand onlong footftalks, three on each; andthey are oblong, and heart-fafhioned : they are of a pale green, and lightly hairy. The ftalk is fender, upright, of a pale green, fightly hairy, and five orfix inches high. The leaves on this are finall; and they are placed on lon footftalks, three on each: they pe 3. Yellowith-flowered Trefoil. 7“43,, The root is compofed of numerous flender fibres. The firft leaves are placed on long footftalks, thrée on each; and they are oblong, narrow, of a dufky green, not at all ferrated; but poined at the ends. pad The ftalks are numerous, flender, b ned, of a yellowith green, and about a foot high. The leaves on thefe are larger than thole fros the root, otherwife like them ; and general are bigger toward the top of the plant than on the lower parts of theftalks. The flowers grow in a long and large clutter, andthey are of a very pale yellowith white. 2. Long-flowered white Trefoil. 7245.2) The feed-vefléls are fmall, and the feeds are minute and few. Trifolium album flofculis longioribus paucis. We haveit in dry paftures not unfrequently. The root is long, flender, and furnifhed with It flowers in June, numerous fibres. Ray calls it Trifolium bratenfe bir, The firft leaves are placed three together on Sore albo-fulphureo, five ochro leuco. lender footftalks: they are fhort, bro:d, and writers were not acquainted withit. dented at the end, or regularly heart-fafhioned ; and are of a pale green. 4. Common red Trefoil. numerous, weak, and of a whitifh colour. Theleaves on thefe are like thofe from the root: a plantimproved by culture always is from the fame in a wildftate. HERBAL. j emble thofe from the root .in fhape and colour ; and it is fingular, that tovard the top of the ftalk they ufually grow in pairs. The flowers are large, and of a pale red: they fand in oblong heads, upon weak footftalks, ufually one head oneachplant. The feed-vefléls are fmall, and the feeds are brown. ' It is not uncommon in dry paftures, and flowers in June. Raycalls it Trifolium pratenfe purpureum minus foliis cordatis. 6. Long-leaved purple Trefoil. Trifoliumfoliis longioribus floribus purpureis. 8. Soft-headed Trefoil. 7 Trifolium birfutum capitulis mollioribus rubentibles, The root is compofed of a number of fmall fibres, connected to little head. Thefirft leaves are placed on long footftalks, three on each; and they are broad, and _heart- fafhioned; of a pale green, anda little hairy. The ftalks are numerous, weak, flender, and a foot high. The leaves on the lower part of thefe refemble thofe from the root; but thofe on the upper part are longer and narrower, and of ‘a paler green. The flowers are fmall, and of a very pale red : they ftandin longith tufts at the tops of the ftalks and branches; andthere generally are fomeleaves juft under them. The feed-veffels are fmall, but the feeds are large. It is found in dry, barren paftures, and flowers in July. Ray calls it Trifolium parvum hirfutum floribus parvis dilute purpureis in glomerulis mollioribus oblongis, femine magno, g. Round-knoted Trefoil. Trifolium glomerulis ad caulium nodos rotindis. The root is compofed of a few thick fibres. The firft leaves are fupported on fhort footftalks: and they are oblong, broad, obtufe, and of a deep green. Theftalks are round, weak, jointed, and a foot or more in height. The leaves ftand irregularly on thefe, and refemble thofe from the root, but that they are longer and narrower: three grow on each foot; andthey are alfo of a dufky green. flowers are of a deep purple: they are placed in fhort, thick threads. ; The feed-veflels are fhort, and the feeds are Tall Wehave it not unfrequently oa hilly paftures. It flowers in June. C.Bauhine calls it Trifolium montanum purpu- J. Bauhine, Trifolium majus fecun- The root is compofed of numerous, long, and flender fibres, connected to a fmall head, The ftalks are numerous, round, weak, jointed, and ofa pale green: they are eight or ten inches in length, and they lie in great part upon the ground, The leaves ftand on flender footftalks, three on each; andthey are fmall, broad, and dented at the edges; and are of a faint yellowith green, The flowers ftandin little foft heads at the in- fertions ofthe leaves, and are of a very pale red. The heads have no footftalks, but ftand clofe to the ftalk. The feed-veffels are fmall, and the feeds few: and brown. It is common in hilly paftures, and flowers in June. Ray calls it Trifolium cum glomerulis ad caulium nodos rotundis. Others, Trifolium nodiflorum. 10, Long- |
