288 DIADELPHIA— DECANDRIA. Ervum. 



Cat. tubular, cut, about half way down, into 5 lanceolate, 

 taper-pointed segments, shorter than the corolla; the 

 lowermost rather the longest. Cor. of 5 petals; standard 

 largest, obovate, slightly reflexed ; wings half as long, 

 obtuse ; keel nearly equal to the wings, rounded, with an 

 acute point, of 2 combined petals, with separate claws. 

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

 upper edge ; the tenth capillary, distinct, closing the fis- 

 sure. Antli. small, roundish. Germ, oblong, compressed. 

 Style cylindrical, half as long, ascending at a right angle. 

 Stigma terminal, capitate, all over hairy. Legume o\Aox\g^ 

 compressed, bluntish, tumid only from the projection of 

 the seeds^ which are from 2 to 4, roundish, a little flat- 

 tened. 



Annual slender herbs, climbing by means of the tendrils of 

 their numerously-pinnate narrow leaves. Clusters stalked, 

 axillary, each of a very few small, ^^lAeJlotxiers. Legumes 

 small, pendulous. Our species, nearly all that really be- 

 long to the genus, are useless, and but too prolific, weeds. 



The LinnjEan generic description is taken from JL. Lens, 

 which is truly a Cicer. 



1. E. tetraspermum. Smooth Tare. 



Flowers mostly in pairs. Legume smooth, with four seeds. 

 Leaflets oblong, bluntish. 



E. tetraspermum. Linn. Sp. PL 1039. l^Villd. v. 3. 11 12. Fl. 



Br. 775. Engl Bot.v. \7.t. \223. Curt. Loud. fuse. \. t. 55. 



Hook. Scot. 216. Fl. Dan. t. 95. 

 Vicia I). 423. Hall. Hist. v. 1 . 184. 

 V. minor segetum^ cum siliquis paucis glabris. Moris, v. 2. 64. 



sect. 2. t.A.f. 16. 

 V. segetum, singularibus siliquis glabris. Bauh. Pin. 345. 

 Vicise, sive Craccse minimse, species cum siliquis glabris. Bauh. 



Hist. V. 2. 315./. 

 Cracca minor, siliquis singularibus, flosculis cserulescentibus. Raii 



Syn. 322. 

 C. minor, siliquis geniellis. Riv. Tetrap. Irr. t. 53. f. I. 



In corn fields, hedges and thickets, particularly such as at* rather 

 moist. <■ tv 



Annual. June, July.' 



Root smaW and tapering. Herb besprinkled with fine sofJt l^irs, 

 especially ihejlower-stalks and calyx. Stem weak, quaai ngu- 

 lar, branched from the bottom, leafy, climbing to the he>dit of 

 2 or 3 feet. Leaflets 4 pair or more, linear-oblong, more or 

 less blunt, with a minute point. Stipulas half-arrow-shaped. 



