Tab. 7575. 

 LATHYRUS splendens. 



Native of Southern California. 



Nat. Ord. Legttminos^. — Tribe Vicieje. 

 Genus Lathyrus, Linn. ; (Benth. & Hook. f. Gen. Plant, vol. i. p. 526.) 



Latiiyrtis splendens ; perennis, scandens, glaber v. parce pubescens, caule 

 gracili _ angulato, foliis cirrhiferis, foliolis 4-5-jugis f-1 poll, longis aliis 

 ellipticis obtusis subacutisve aliis anguste lineanbua marginibus interdum 

 convolutis, stipulis parvis 2-fidis integris v. laciniatis ciliatis, racemia 

 elongatis basi bifloris superne 7-10-floris, floribus magnis, petalis saturate 

 sanguineis carina pallidiore, calyce fere hemispherico teretiusculo breviter 

 5-dentato dentibus 2 posticis ceteris paullo longioribus, vexillo pollicare 

 orbiculare marginibus revolutis, alis ovato-oblongig carina acnta brevi- 

 oribus et angustioribus, ovario pubescente, legumine 3-pollicari compresso 

 glabro 10-20-spermo. 



L. splendens, Kellog in Proc. Calif. Acad. vol. vii. (1876) p. 90. Masters in 

 Gard. Ghron. 1893, vol. i. p. 258; 1897, vol. i. p. 315, fig. 106. The 

 Garden, 1897, Aug. p. 122, cum 1c. 



This is certainly the most beautiful species of the large 

 genus to which it belongs, consisting of about 150 species, 

 of which ten are "Western American. Its nearest ally is 

 L. vestitus, Nutt., of California, of which indeed S. Watson, 

 in his " Botany of California " (vol. ii. p. 442) suspected 

 (judging from its description alone) that it was a variety. 

 L. vestitus is, however, a much stouter plant, never so 

 tall, with many more and larger leaflets, much larger 

 stipules, and with smaller, pale rose-coloured or violet 

 flowers not half the size. 



Lathyrus splendens is a native of the high desert region 

 of Southern California, where it flowers throughout the 

 winter, and is called the " Pride of California." It was 

 discovered in 1882, in the San Bernardino Valley, by Mr. 

 Pringle. There is also a specimen of it in the Kew 

 Herbarium, collected in San Diego by Mr. Cleveland. 



Seeds of L. splendens were received at the Royal 

 Gardens, Kew, from Professor Greene of the Catholic 

 University, Washington, in 1894. A plant raised from 

 them was planted in the border of a house devoted to 

 Cape bulbs, where it formed a dense mass of stems tea feet 



January 1st, 1898. 



