302 TRANSACTIONS AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE [Sess. lix. 



The PapilionaceiP is the sub-order that concerns us, and 

 contains such well-known plants as lupines, whin, broom, 

 the clovers, medicagos, vetches, lathy rus, haricot bean, 

 scarlet runner, peas, grain, lentiL 



In view of what I shall have to say later on it is 

 worthy of note that among ancient nations some of the 

 pulses were reckoned unclean, the bean, for example, which 

 Pythajioras condemned to his disciples because the constant 

 use thereof dulled men's wits and caused many dreams ; 

 while others declared that therein dwelt dead men's souls 

 and that, therefore, at least "the bishop should not eat 

 beans." 



One of the tribes of the Papilionaceae is the tribe 

 Vicieae, including such genera as Ercum, Pisum, Ciccr, 

 Vicia, La.thyrws. 



The genus Vicia and the genus Laihyrus have many 

 points of resemblance, and it is not easy to give absolute 

 characters to emphasise their difference, but generally it 

 may be said that, while both are climbing in their habit, 

 the plants of the genus Vicia have more numerous leaflets, 

 the leaflets of the genus La.tTiynts being few — one or two 

 pairs and sometimes none. A more scientific distinction is 

 that the style of a vetch is threadlike and ascending, with 

 no conspicuous dilatation towards the apex, whereas the 

 the style of a lathyrus is often bent and is dilated towards 

 the apex. 



The genus Lotlujrus is made up of a large number of 

 species of which ten or twelve are indigenous to Britain, 

 among them L. sylvcstris (the narrow-leaved everlasting 

 pea), L. Vitifoliv^s (the broad-leaved everlasting pea), Z. 

 tuberosum (the tuberous vetchling), L. pratensis (the meadow 

 vetchling), L. hirsidus (the hairy vetchling), L. Aplmca 

 (the yellow vetchling), and so on. 



Incidentally I might call attention to one of the 

 suggested derivations of Lathyrus, viz., "la," augmentative, 

 and " thouros," anything exciting (in reference to the 

 qualities of the seeds). 



Laihyrus sativus, an annual, is not native in Britain, 

 although a correspondent in the " Gardener's Chronicle " 

 reminds us that not so long acjo it was to be found in our 

 gardens under the name of L. ccerulcus, and appeared in 



