84 THE FLORA OF THE ALPS 



23. Hedysarum, L. 



Flowers in axillary racemes ; keel oblong, truncate, 

 longer than the wing-petals; leaflets numerous; legume 

 compressed, breaking up into many i -seeded joints. 



H. obscurum, L. (PI. 30) ; flowers large, purple, pods 

 drooping, stipules connate, stem erect, 8-25 in.; pastures ; 

 Switzerland, Dauphiny, Carpathians, Pyrenees. 



Tribe VlCIE^. — Leaves pinnate, ending in a tendril 

 or point ; leaflets sometimes o ; upper filament distinct ; 

 herbs, sometimes climbing. Genera 24-25. 



24. ViciA, L. 



Leaves usually ending in a tendril, with numerous 

 leaflets and half-arrow-shaped stipules; legume com- 

 pressed, undivided, many-seeded. Prostrate or climbing 

 herbs, mostly lowland. 



A. Flowers few and very small; leaflets few; calyx 

 not gibbous {Ervum, L.) ; weeds in cultivated ground : — 

 V. tetraspenna^ Moench. ; glabrous, legume shortly stalked, 

 about 4-seeded. V. hirsuta^ Koch, Tare ; hairy, legume 

 sessile, 2-seeded. 



B. Flowers few, sessile or on very short stalks ; 

 legume sessile; calyx not gibbous at the base; mostly 

 annual herbs : — V. sativay L., Field Vetch ; flowers 

 large, blue or violet. V. angustifoliay Roth ; flowers 

 smaller, legume narrower, glabrous, leaflets linear ; 

 Western and Southern Switzerland, Pyrenees. V. 

 lathyroideSy L. ; flower solitary, very small, violet, ten- 

 dril often wanting, stipules entire; sandy places; very 



