170 DIADELPHIA— DECANDRIA. Orobus. 



On the pebbly beach, between Aldburgh and Orford, Suffolk, 

 abundantly; also near Hastings, Sussex, Ray. On the west 

 side of Denge-ness, near Lyd, in Kent. Cambden. Lincoln- 

 shire. With. On the sharp ridge running from Portland island 

 to Bridport. Mr. Stackhouse. 



Perennial. July. 



Roots creeping widely, much branched, running to the depth of 

 many feet among the loose stones. //e?-6 perfectlysmooth. Stems 

 about a span long, procumbent, simple, quadrangular, slightly 

 compressed, zigzag, leafy, many-flowered, glaucous, often red- 

 dish. Leaves alternate, sessile, alternately and abruptly pin- 

 nate, the flattish common stalk of each, ending in a branched 

 tendril; leaflets 7 or 8, elliptical, with a small point, entire, 

 veiny, of a dark rather glaucous green. Stipulas equal, triangu- 

 lar arrow-shaped, reflexed, toothed towards the base, rather 

 smaller than the leaflets. Clusters axillary, solitary, stalked, 

 many-flowered, the length of the leaves. Fl. purple, hand- 

 somely variegated and veined with crimson ; the prominences 

 in front of the standard white ; tvings and keel pale blue. Le- 

 gume about half the size of the cultivated Pea, tipped with the 

 permanent inflexed style. Seeds 6 or 8. 



The character and habit of this species approach the genus Lathy- 

 rus, betwixt which and Pisum it is, in a manner, intermediate ; 

 but the style is not flattened, and dilated upward, like a true 

 Latlujrus. The young seeds formerly proved a resource in a 

 time of great scarcity, as Caius and other writers report. At 

 present, as Dr. Hooker observes, sheep devour the plant before 

 it can well blossom. 



358. OROBUS. Bitter-vetch. 



Linn. Gen. 37 A. Juss.360. FLBr.76l. Tourn. t. 214. Lam. 

 t. 633. Gcertn. t. 151. 



Cal. cup-shaped, unequal; the margin in 5 acute segments; 

 2 uppermost shortest and most distant ; lower one long- 

 est. Cor. of 5 petals ; standard inversely heart-shaped, 

 reflexed at the sides, rather longer than the rest ; wings 

 obovate, ascending, converging ; keel rounded, pointed, 

 rather tumid, of 2 combined petals, with sepai'ate claws. 

 Filam. 10; 9 united into a compressed tube, open at the 

 upper edge; the tenth capillary, quite distinct. Anth. 

 small, roundish. Germ, oblong, compressed. Style as- 

 cending, straight, cylmdrical, channelled above. Stigma 

 longitudinal, linear, downy, running along the inner, or 

 upper, side of the upper half of the style. Legume ob- 

 long, or linear, tumid, or somewhat cylindrical, with a 



