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Lathyrus odoratus, Sweet Pea, or 
Vetchling. 
Clafs and Order r 
Diadelphia Decandria. 
Generic Chara&er. 
Stylus planus, fupra villofus, fuperne lador. Cal. lacinise 
fuperiores 2-breviores. 
Specific Character and Synonyms. 
LATHYRUS odoratus pedunculis bifloris, cirrbis diphyllis, 
foliolis ovato-oblongis, leguminibus hirfutis, 
Linn. Syjl. Vegetab. p. 66 3. 
LATHYRUS didoplatyphylloshirfutus mollis, magno et pera- 
maeno flore odoro. Comm. hort. 2. p. 219. t. 80. 
There is fcarcely a plant more generally cultivated than the 
Szveet Pea y and no wonder, fince with the mod delicate blof- 
foms it unites an agreeable fragrance. 
Several varieties of this plant are enumerated by authors, 
but general cultivation extends to two only, the one with 
blolfoms perfe&ly white, the other white and rofe-coloured, 
commonly called the Painted Lady Pea. 
The Sweet Pea is defcribed as a native of Sicily, the Painted 
Lady V ariety as an inhabitant of Ceylon ; they have both been 
introduced fince the time of Parkinson and Evelyn. 
It is an annual, and not a very tender one ; feedling plants 
fown in Autumn frequently furviving bur winters. 
As it is defirable to have this plant in flower for as great a 
length of time as poffibie, to have them early, we mull fow them 
in the Autumn, either in pots or in the open border; if fown 
in pots, they can the more readily be fecured from any fevere 
weather, by placing them in a hot-bed frame, a common prac- 
tice with gardeners who raife them for the London markets, 
in which they are in great requeft : others again fhould be fown 
early in the fpring, and the fowings repeated every month ; 
they grow readily in almoft any foil or fituation, and by this 
paeans may be had to flower moll of the year through. 
If fown fh pots, care mud be taken to water them frequently. 
