This section is from the book "The Flower-Garden; Or, Breck's Book Of Flowers", by Joseph Breck. Also available from Amazon: The Flower-Garden: Or, Breck's Book Of Flowers.
Medicago sativa is the Lucerne, a valuable agricultural plant. The following species are cultivated on account of their curious seed-vessels, and not for their flowers, which are inferior.
M. scutellata. - Snails. - An annual. It has curious seed-pods, which resemble a snail, and is generally known by the name of Snails.
M. intertexta, - Hedge-hog, - is an annual, cultivated for its curious seed-vessels. Flowers yellow, in July and August.
M. circinatus, - Caterpillar, - is also a very curious annual. The seed-pods have the appearance of caterpillars; flowers yellow, of no beauty; in June and July.
 
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