120 THE PEAFLOWER TRIBE. 



In pastures, on banks, &c., chiefly in limestone districts, In central and 

 southern, especially western Europe, not extending to northern Germany. 

 Abundant in some parts of England, extending to the south of Scotland, 

 but not to Ireland. Fl. spring and summer. 



XV. ONOBRYCHIS. SAINFOIN. 



Herbs, with pinnate leaves, without tendrils, and spikes of flowers 

 usually pink, on long axillary peduncles. Stamens diadelphous, the 

 upper one quite free. Pod sessile, flat, hard, 1 -seeded and indehiscent, 

 strongly veined or pitted, and usually either prickly, crested, or 

 winged. 



A genus of several species, chiefly from the eastern Mediterranean 

 region and west central Asia, very distinct from any other British 

 Peaflower, but only differing from Iledysarum (a large European and 

 Asiatic genus, which includes the so-called French Honeysuckle of our 

 gardens) in the pods being reduced to a single article. 



1. O. saliva, Lam. (fig. 277). Common Sainfoin. Stock perennial, 

 but of few years' duration, with several ascending stems, 1 to 1 J or rarely 

 2 feet long. Stipules brown, thin, and finely pointed. Leaflets numerous, 

 oblong, slightly downy underneath, glabrous above. Peduncles longer 

 than the leaves, bearing in their upper half a spike of pale pink flowers, 

 at first closely packed, but lengthening out as the flowering advances. 

 Calyx-teeth long and slender. Wings of the corolla shorter than the 

 keel and standard. Pod twice as long as the calyx, the upper edge 

 nearly straight, the lower semicircular, bordered with short teeth, some- 

 times prickly, the flat surface marked with raised veins. 0. vicicefolia, 

 Scop. 



In limestone districts, in central and southern Europe, and temperate 

 Asia ; much cultivated for forage, and occasionally naturalised further 

 northward. In Britain, believed to be truly indigenous in southern and 

 eastern England, but not recorded from Ireland. Fl. early summer. 



XVI. VICIA. VETCH. 



Herbs, with weak stems, often slightly climbing, half-sagittate stipules, 

 and pinnate leaves ; the leaflets usually numerous : the common leafstalk 

 ending in a simple or branched tendril, or at least in a small point. 

 Flowers in the axils of the leaves, solitary, clustered, or in pedunculate 

 racemes, blue, purplish, white, or pale yellow. Petals usually rather 

 narrow. Upper stamen quite free, or connected with the others, at least 

 in the middle. Style cylindrical or slightly flattened, with a tuft of hairs 

 below the stigma on the outer side, or shortly downy all round under the 

 stigma, or rarely quite glabrous. Pod more or less flattened, opening in 

 2 valves, with several, or rarely only 2 seeds, either globular or slightly 

 flattened. 



A numerous genus, widely spread, but most abundant in temperate 

 regions ; in the tropics almost confined to mountain districts, and un- 

 known in Australia. The tendrils distinguish it from all our Leguminous 

 plants, except Lathyrut, from which it is absolutely separated chiefly 

 by the style ; but also in all our species, except V. bithynica, the more 

 numerous and smaller leaflets, and the general shape of the flowers, give 



