394 The Ohio Naturalist. [Vol. XV, No. 2, 



ViciE^. — Pea Tribe. 



Herbs or vines erect or climbing by tendrils, usually glabrous 

 and gray-green. Leaves pinnately compound, leaflets two to 

 many; flowers axillary usually racemose though sometimes 

 capitate or solitary; cotyledons remaining underground during 

 the sprouting and growth of the seedling. 



Many of the Vicieas are cultivated for soiling, pasture, hay and 

 seed. 



Key to the Genera. 



1. Leaves with terminal leaflet. 2. 



1. Leaves ending in a tendril, spine or bristle; style usually more or less 



hairy. 3. 



2. Peduncle one flowered, leaves serrate. Cicer. (1). 



2. Peduncle two to several flowered, leaves not serrate. Vicia (2). 



3. Stamen tube diagonal at the summit; stjde slender with a tuft of hairs 



or merely pubescence at the summit; veining of the leaves not promi- 

 nent, veins pinnate. 4. 



3. vStamen tube with a flat top; style flattened, bearded along the inner 



side; stipules usually large; veins on the under side of the leaf promi- 

 nent; veins branched or parallel. 5. 



4. Calyx lobes elongated; style flat; pod 2-seeded. Ervum (3). 



4. Calyx lobes short; style threadlike; pod generally more than 2-seeded. 



Vicia (2). 



5. Style without a groove; stipules mostly much smaller than the leaflets. 



Lathyrus (4). 

 5. Style grooved on the underside; stipules nearly as large or larger than 

 the leaflets. Pisum (5). 



1. Cicer L. Chick-pea. 



Pubescent herbs or shrubs with evenly or odd pinnate leaves 

 and more or less serrate leaflets. Flowers pedicelled, few or 

 solitary, white to purple. 



There are several species of Cicer, but only one has been 

 generally introduced into the United States. 



.1. Cicer arietinum L. Chick-pea. An upright, ver}^ glandular 

 pubescent annual, 9-20 in. high. Leaves odd-pinnate; leaflets 

 9-25, /4-K in. long, /,s-/;i in. wide; stipules ovate-lanceolate, toothed 

 Peduncle one flowered; flowers Yr/i in. long, white to purple; 

 pods very pubescent, 1-2 in. long; the seed light brown, angular, 

 the micropylar point very prominent. 



2. Vicia (Toum.) L. Vetch. 



Herbs or vines usuallj^ tendril-bearing, but sometimes with a 

 terminal leaflet. Leaves nearly sessile evenly or odd-pinnate. 

 Stipules sometimes with nectar glands. Flowers axillary, in 

 twos or threes or racemose; style filifonn, pod dehiscent, two to 

 many seeded. 



