Bird's-foot Trefoil. Ground Honeysuckle. Bloom-fell. Lotus corniculatus L. Seed light brown occasionally mottled with black, shining, spherical to ovoid, slightly compressed near one edge, 1–1.2 mm. in diameter, the compressed portion (raphe) extending half to three-fourths the length of the seed to the hilum or scar, above this the seed is narrower. Introduced from Europe. Seldom met with in this country.

Fig 108. [Black Medick. Nonesuch. Medicago lupulina] L.

Black Medick. Nonesuch. Medicago lupulina L. Flowers light yellow; pods black, oval, much flattened, spirally coiled, causing the two extremities to nearly meet; 2–2.8 mm. long; seeds smooth, dull yellow to green, oval, flattened, kidney-shaped, with a tubercle near the middle of the concave edge or like the figure, 1.5–1.8 mm. long. Introduced from Europe and becoming frequent in grass land. Its worst feature is to supply seeds that may be mistaken for and mixed with seeds of alfalfa and red clover. The seeds differ from those of alfalfa in being more commonly egg-shaped than kidney-shaped in outline. The scar is nearer the small extremity in these seeds than in those of alfalfa. For pasture this is less valuable than white clover.

Fig 109. [Alfalfa. Lucerne. Medicago sativa] L.

Alfalfa. Lucerne. Medicago sativa L. Seeds varying much in shape and size owing to their crowding in the pod when young, yellowish green to light brown. The cuts give a good idea of the variety of shapes; surface dull or somewhat glossy, often kidney shaped, with the scar in a depression near the middle, the tips may be truncate or acute or rounded, 2–2.5 mm. long in cross-section, oval; when viewed from one edge it is seen to be bent or warped in various ways, half anatropous, often seen with a slight depression extending along one edge from the scar to one end, larger seeds more often flattened than are the shorter. A prominent forage plant, the seeds of which are often adulterated. Native of Europe.