Ononis arvensis Linnaeus, Systema Naturae, ed. 10, 2: 1159. 1759.

RCN: 5265.

Neotype ( Förther in Turland & Jarvis in Taxon 46: 477. 1997): Germany. München: cultivated in the Botanic Garden, Lippert 21111 (M).

Current name: Ononis spinosa L. subsp. arvensis (L.) Greuter & Burdet ( Fabaceae: Faboideae).

Note: The specimen Herb. Linn. No. 896.2 (LINN) (which taxonomically is not Ononis arvensis as currently understood), although annotated with “arvensis” (as well as “spinosa”) by Linnaeus, has spiny stems and thereby is fundamentally at odds with Linnaeus’ nomen specificum legitimum which states "ramis inermibus". This specimen could not possibly have been that upon which the validating diagnosis was based and is therefore not original material for O. arvensis . There is no other potential original material and, for this reason, Förther designated a neotype.