THE AMERICAN BOTANIST yz 



l)hint's liabit of growinfj^ alonj( river banks makes the second 

 name appropriate while the resemblance to the true indigo 

 plant which grows in parts of its range makes a distinction 

 between the true and the false necessary. 



Peas and vetches and well mixed in the three genera, 

 Tcplirusia. J'icia and Lathyrus, most of which have tendril- 

 bearing pinnate leaves. Cracca, the Latin term for vetch, 

 is often substituted f(jr Tcphrosia in the scientific terminologv. 

 Our commonest species of Tephrosia {T. Virginica) is an 

 interesting plant with d(nvnv gray leaves and flowers of pink 

 and yellow. Its commonest vernacular names are "hoarv 

 pea" and "wild sweet pea". Rabbit pea" and "turkey pea" 

 are other names probably of fanciful origin. "Goat's rue" 

 is another well known name for the plant, but its application 

 is obscure for there is no resemblance to rue. The names 

 "devil's shoestrings" and "cat-gut" refer to the strong, wiry 

 roots. Like most sand plants, the roots of this species extend 

 / for long distances and interfere with the plow. 



Lathyrv.s is the real sweet pea genus. The "sweet pea" 

 of our gardens is L. odoratns and the perennial pea" c>r "ever- 

 lasting pea" is L. latifoliiis. Because of its fondness for 

 growing in sterile places near the water, Lathyrus inaritinnis 

 is known as the "beach pea", "seaside pea" and "heath pea". 

 Latliyriis decuphyllus is the "prairie vetchling" or "everlast- 

 ing pea" and L. pnliistris is the "marsh vetchling" and "wild 

 l)ea". An Old World species, Lathyrus pratcnsis, which has 

 become sparinglv naturalizefl with us has, as usual, a number 

 of vernacular names such as "mouse pea", "cow peas". "Tom 

 Thumb", "angleberries" and "ladies fingers". 



The plants most entitled to the name of "vetch" are the 

 species of Vicia, since the word vetch, itself, is only another 

 rendering of the generic name. "Tare" applied to several 



