Forms: 6 tretrifoly, 6–7 -ie, 7 tree-trifolie, tre-trifoly, (trettifollie); 8–9 tree trefoil. The shrub Medicago arborea, also called tree-medick (TREE sb. 10 a); the κύτισος, cytisus of the ancients.
Not the genus Cytisus (L.). of botanists, nor the ‘Cytisus’ of florists (Genista racemosa).
1552. Elyot, Cytisus, an herbe which is good to geue to cattell agaynst the rotte, some call it tretrifolie.
1601. Holland, Pliny, XVI. xxiv. I. 471. The Elme, and the Tree-trifolie, are full of small and little braunches.
1657. S. Purchas, Pol. Flying-Ins., I. xv. 94. Tre-trifoly with yellow knops.
1861. Miss Pratt, Flower. Pl., II. 92. The Moon Trefoil, or Tree Trefoil (Medicago arborea).
