92 



FIELD AND WOODLAND PLANTS 



In shady grassy or bushy places we may see the Crimson Vetch 

 or Grass Vetchling {Lathyrus Nissolia) which, although not common, 

 is rather frequent in the midland and southern counties of England. 

 It is a very slender plant, from one to two feet high, bearing crimson 

 flowers in May and June, and may be identified at once by reference 

 to our illustration. 



The pretty Bird's-foot {Ornithopus perpusillus) is commonly 



found on waste ground, 

 more particularly on 

 sandy soils. It has a 

 spreading, prostrate stem, 

 from six to eighteen 

 inches long, and pinnate 

 leaves with from about 

 fifteen to twenty- five 

 elHptical, downy leaflets. 

 The flowers appear to be 

 pink when viewed from a 

 distance; but, when 

 examined closely, are seen 

 to have cream coloured 

 petals that are veined 

 with crimson. They are 

 arranged in heads, of a 

 few flowers each, on long 

 stalks, with a leaf im- 

 mediately below each 

 head. The pods are 

 curved, and made up of 

 from seven to nine oval, one-seeded joints, with a terminal beak 

 resembhng the claw of a bird, so that each cluster of pods has 

 much the appearance of a bird's foot. This plant flowers from 

 April to July. 



Our other example of leguminous flowers is the Bush Vetch 

 {Vicia sepium) — a climbing plant with stem two or three feet 

 long, very common in hedges, flowering from April to August. 

 The leaves are pinnate, with from twelve to eighteen oval, blunt 

 leaflets which increase in size towards the base. The flowers are 

 pale purple, and are arranged in axillary racemes of from four 

 to six, on very short peduncles. The style is tufted on one side, 

 and the pods are smooth and erect. 



The Herb Egbert. 



