1861.] LATHYRUS TUBEROSUS. 187 



of a deep reddish-purple, somewhat bright ; the cods that suc- 

 ceed them are small and long, with small round seeds in them ; 

 the roots are tuberous, black, and small, fastened to long strings, 

 which spread much on the ground, in taste somewhat like to a 

 dry chestnut. Bauhinus maketh it and the next [Lathyrus syl- 

 vestris iignosior) to be both one plant. 



"The Peace . . . the fourth (the above-named plant), is said by 

 Gerard to grow in many places with us, as Hamsted, Coome 

 (Comb) Parke, etc. ; but we rather think it was the next^ for the 

 roots of those we have hitherto found in our woods and hedge- 

 sides have beene more wooddy than the other sorts^ which, grow- 

 ing in our gardens, we have seen to be more tender, and came to 

 us from beyond sea'^ (Park. 1062). 



In Johnson^s emaculated, not emasculated, edition of Gerard, 

 it is observed by the learned editor, — who rarely abstains, when 

 an opportunity is given, from throwing dirt on the memory of 

 his author, — states that this was confounded with the more 

 common Wood Pea, L. macrorhizus, and thinks it no wonder, 

 since Dr. Turner, a man more exquisite in the knowledge of 

 plants, and who had seen the true Terra glandes in Germany, 

 mistook this (the common Wood Pea) for it. And indeed this 

 grows here, and is much more astringent and woody than that 

 of Germany, and in no wise fit to be eaten." De gustibus nil 

 disputandum ; every man to his liking. The writer of these notes 

 has eaten the roots of the Wood Pea by the handful, and in 

 those days thought them good, as some Highlanders do in these 

 our more luxurious times. See Ger. Em. 1236. 



It will be seen from the above that both Johnson and Parkinson 

 ignore the plant as a British species. See Johnson's Gerard, 

 p. 1236; and Parkinson, 1061. 



The next notice of this plant is contained in the ' Historia 

 Plantarum ' of the illustrious Ray, who distinctly states that, to 

 his knowledge, it was not spontaneous in England. The follow- 

 ing are the synonyms and the authorities quoted by Ray in 1693 

 (Hist. i. p. 895). 



" Chamsebalanus leguminosa, /. B. 



Lathyrus arvensis repens tuberosus, C. B. 



Sive terrse glandes, Parkinson, Bodocns, Lobel, Gerard. 



Distinguitur abunde ab aliis Lathyris radicibus suistuberosis esculentis. 



In Anglia, quod sciam, spontanea non occurrit." 



