DIADELPHIA— DECANDRIA. Orobus. 271. 



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

 abundantly • also near Hastings, Sussex. Rcnj. On the west 

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

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

 to Bridport. Mr. Stackliouse. 



Perennial. Jubj. 



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

 manyfeet among the loose stones. //(?r6 perfectly smooth. Stents 

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

 comj)ressed, 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; leajiets 7 or 8, elliptical, with a small point, entire, 

 veiny, of a dark rather glaucous green. .SV/pw/rts 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 ; iv'oigs 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- 

 riis, betwixt which and Pisum it is, in a manner, intermediate j 

 but tlie style is not flattened, and dilated u])ward, like a true 

 Lathi/rus. 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.374. Juss. 360. Fl.Br.76\. Tourn. t.2\A. Lam. 

 LG33. Ga-rtn.t.lDi. 



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

 2 uppermost siiortest and most distant; lower one long- 

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

 refloxed at die sides, ratlier longer than the rest ; wings 

 obovate, ascending, converging; keel roundetl, pointed, 

 rather tumid, of 2 combined petals, with separate claws. 

 Filcun. 10 ; 9 united into a comi)ressed lube, open at the 

 uj)peredge; the tenth capillary, (|uile distinct. .//////. 

 small, roundish, (irnn. oblong, compressed. Sli/U' as- 

 cending, straight, cylindrical, channelled above. Sfi^ma 

 longitudinid, linear, downy, running along the iimer, or 

 upper, side of the uppir half of llie style. Lri^nnic ob- 

 lon<r, or liiK-ar, tumid, or somewhat cylindrical, with u 



