871 
VICIA atropiirpurea. < : 
Dark Purple Vetch. \ 
DIADELPHIA DECANDRIA. 
Nat. onl. Lf.guminos/E. 
VICIA. L. Ca/yx tubulosus, 5-fidus, aut 5-(lentatus, dentibus supern^ 
brevioribus. Germen basi hinc glandulosum : stylus filiformis ; stigma sub 
apice transverse barbatum. Legumen obloneum, polysperniuiii, scminibus 
rotundis hilo lateral!. CauYi?, erect as, aut scundeiis, scupt gracilis; folia 
nata ; stipulse parva; flores axiUares, 1-3 fe$nleg, aut apicati pedunaUati. 
Juss. gen. 360. V .',■;.! tall I ■.".'S^hn:.'. ' ' 
V. atropurpurea, fuliolis lineari-lanceolatis, racemis multifloris sccundis, 
calycibus villosissimis ; dentibus setaceis, ieguminifa|us OTato-obloDgis 
cernuis hirsutissiinis. Desf. ail. 2. p. 164. ^ 
V. att-opurpuc^. W0kL sp. pL 3. 10&7.'! 
Herba (Of^H^ii^^cumiens, 2-pedalis, undique pubeseeni. Folia multyttga, 
parium circiter 7» foliolU ellipticis, planis^^iipice mucronulatHfpetioli cirrko 
eompoiito. ^ipul^ttemisagittatee, nunc imtegnEf mmc vertus Mnm denticur 
lata. Flores atro-purpurei, in racemis cueUUirU0, nmlHfioris, petioU Umgi- 
tttdme. Calyx campanulatus, pilosust i fi iif ipiifflifrif frrf I'r nffirri'i - mferiorimu 
feri alarum to^pj^ufme; Jf , 
This plant has been sent to England by Mr. Fischer, 
Director of the Botanic Garden at Gottingen, as the V. a^rc- 
purpurea of Willdenow. Of that plant no authentic speci- 
mens have come within our observation ; but upon referring 
to the Flora Atlantica of Desfontaines, from which work 
the species was adopted by Willdenow, we find that writer's 
description applies to our plant, as well as a definition and 
description of a wild plant on the northern coast of Africa 
can be expected to apply to a cultivated individnal. The 
specific character of Willdenow, who appears to have seen 
a dried specimen of what l^eju^ged lobe thi^ plant, does not 
however, entirely agree witfrk, atid his description of the 
stipules of his plant, which he describes as being finely cut, 
is so much at variance with what we have observed in the 
plant before us, that we cannot avoid feeling some doubts 
