286 DIADELPHIA— DECANDRIA. Vicia. 



with more equal teeth than either of the foregoing. Pet. pale 

 bluCj or whitish, seldom yellowish, all quite smooth. Legume 

 reflexed, rather short and broad, quite smooth, with about 5 

 seeds, which when young are bitter and astringent as in the 

 neighbouring species. 

 Authentic specimens prove this to have been Mr. Hudson's F. hij- 

 hrida, found at Weymouth, though the plant before us wants the 

 most essential characters of that species. 



9. V. sep'ium. Common Bush Vetch. 



Flowers about four together, in short axillary clusters. Le- 

 gumes upright, smooth. Leaflets ovate, obtuse; the 

 upper ones gradually smaller. 



V. sepium. lin«. 5p. P/. 1038. «^J/W.t;.3. 1 lOQ. FLBr.773. 

 Engl. Bot. V. 22. t. 1515. Hook. Scot. 215. Fl.Dan.t. 699. 

 Riv. Tetrap. Irr.t.bG, 



V. n. 429. Hall.Hist.v.l.\86. 



V. sepium perennis. Raii Sijn. 320. Bauh. Hist. v. 2. 3 1 3 /. 



V. maxima dumetorum. Ger.Em. 1227. f. 



Aphace. Fuchs. Hist. 1 1 0./. Ic. 6 1 ./. 



/3. Vicia folio subrotundo brevi, obtusfe mucronato, pediculo brevi 

 insidente, flore Vicise sepium seu dumetorum vulgaris. Raii 

 - Syn.32\. 



In thickets and under hedges, common. 



Perennial. Mcnj, June. 



Root branched at the crown, or slightly creeping. Stems about 2 

 feet high, angular, smooth, but little branched, weak, supported 

 upon other plants by the branched tendrils of the leaves. Leaflets 

 opposite, or most frequently alternate, elliptic-ovate, obtuse, or 

 abrupt, membranous, hairy, minutely pointed, dull green, gra- 

 dually smaller towards the upper part of enc\\ footstalk. Stipulas 

 various, undivided or tvvo-lobed, acute, each marked with a 

 brown spot. Fl. dull blueish purple, variegated, sometimes 

 white, from 4 to 5 or 6 together, in short, dense, axillary clus- 

 ters, all leaning one way. Cal. with a longish tube, and short, 

 narrow teeth, hairy about its upper part. Legumes ascending 

 or upright, an inch long, smooth, blackish, pointed. Seeds glo- 

 bular, smooth. 



^ seems to be a variety with short rounded leaflets, or, if the defi- 

 nition be correct, with simple leaves, perhaps analogous to that 

 oi Orobus sylvaticus above described} but this can only be con- 

 jectured. 



Schreber recommends this Ficia as excellent food for cattle. It has 

 not been attended to in England. 



A very extraordinary variety of the present species, gathered in 

 Scotland by Mr. Arthur Bruce, has only 3, 4 or 5 leaflets, to each 

 leaf, larger than usual, the largest of all, above an inch long, 

 Toeing in the place of n tendril. 



