Description of Native Vines 



(keel blue-edged), very small, 6-12-clustered ; May. New York, 

 south and west. 



American Vetch (V. americana) : leaflets 10-14, elliptical, 

 apex blunt, about i' long ; flower purplish, ^' long, 4-8-clus- 

 tered ; May, June. New York, New Jersey, and west. 



17. Vetchlings. (Lathyrus.) (PI. III.) 



Leaf and flower essentially as in the vetch (16), where the dif- 

 ferences of the two genera are noted. The six species of vetch- 

 lings are distinguished as follows : 



Swamp Vetchling (L. palustris) : leaflets 4-8, narrow, apex 

 pointed, 1-2' long, stipules small, lance-shaped, both ends 

 pointed ; flower purplish, y^ long or more, 2-6-clustered ; June, 

 July ; square stem, usually xvinged on edges. New England to 

 New Jersey, and west. 



Veiny Vetchling (L. venosus) : leaflets 8-14, long-oval, 

 i>^'-2'long; stipules very small, slender, apex pointed, base 

 half-arrow-shaped ; flower purple, many-clustered ; June, July ; 

 stem square. Pennsylvania, west and south. 



Myrtle-leaved Vetchling (L. myrtifolius) : leaflets 4-8, 

 ovate to oblong, about i' long; upper stipules rather large; 

 flower purplish, 3-5-clustered ; July ; square stalk more or less 

 winged. West New England to Virginia. 



Spreading Vetchling (L. pratensis) : leaflets ttvo, narrow, apex 

 sharp, about i' long ; stipules half as long or more, ends long- 

 pointed ; flower yellow, few-clustered. Massachusetts and New 

 York ; introduced. 



Yellow-white Vetchling (L. ochroleucus) ; leaflets 6-10, 

 oval to ovate, i'-i>^' long ; stipules large, half cordate ; flower 

 yellowish-white, 7-10-clustered ; June, July ; New Jersey, west 

 and north ; rare. 



Beach-pea (L. maritimus) . leaflets 6-12, oval to ovate, thick, 

 1-2' long, lowest the largest ; stipules almost as large as leaflets, 

 rather ovate, base cordate, often serrate ; flower purple or blue, 

 large, 6-io-clustered ; June-August ; stem square. New Eng- 

 land to New Jersey, on coast. 



The Sweet Pea is a vetchling. 



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