100 LEGUMINOS^. [OxonuYcuis. 



Europe, N. Asia. Much cultivated as fodder crop on dry soils, because of 

 the depth its roots penetrate. 



16. VIC'IA, L. VETCH, TARE. 



Climbing or diffuse herbs. Stems with prominent ridges. Leaves 

 abruptly pinnate ; petioles ending in a simple or branched tendril (except 

 F". Orobus); leaflets many, entire or toothed at the tip ; stipules i-sagittate. 

 Flowers blue, purple or yellow, axillary, racemed. Calyx-teeth sub- 

 equal or the lower longer. Wings adnate to the keel. Stamina I fnf- 

 abruptly truncate ; filaments filiform, upper more or less free ; anthers 

 uniform. Style inflexed, cylindric or flattened, glabrous or downy all 

 round, or with a tuft of hairs below the terminal stigma externally ; 

 ovules usually many. Pod compressed, 2-valved. Seeds globose, with ;i 

 small arillus. DISTRIB. Temp. N. hemisphere, and S. America ; spc k-s 

 100. ETYM. The old Latin name. 



SECTION 1. Er'vum, L. (gen.). Annuals. Leaflets few. Flowers few. 

 Calyx equal at the base. Style equally pubescent all round. 



1. V. tetrasper'ma, Moench; leaflets 3-6 pair, peduncles 1-2-flowered, 

 pod shortly stipitate glabrous 3-S-seeded. 



fledges, cornfields, &c. from Lanark and Forfar southwards ; rare and hardly 

 indigenous in Scotland ; S. and E. of Ireland, very rare ; fl. May-Aug. 

 Almost glabrous. Stem* 1-2 ft., filiform. Lenjlets variable, i-1 in., usually 

 truncate, narrow ; tendrils once or twice forked ; lower stipules 2-fid, upper 

 entire, toothed on the base at one side. Peduncles -! in., produced 

 beyond the flowers ; pedicels slender, curved. Flowers 1 in., pale blue. 

 Calyx-tube short, upper teeth shortest. Pod i-| in., linear-oblong. DISTIUB. 

 Europe, N. Africa, W. Asia to India ; introd. in N. America. 



Sub-sp. TETRASPEH'MA proper; leaflets 4-6 obtuse mucronate, peduncles as 

 long as the leaves 1-2-flowered, pod 3-4-seeded. 



Sub-sp. GRAC'ILIS, Loiseleur (sp.); leaflets 3-4 pair acuminate, peduncles longer 

 than the leaves 1-4-flowered, pod longer 5-8-seeded. From Warwick and 

 Cambridge southwards ; a native or colonist, Wtf>n. 



2. V. hirsu'ta, Koch; leaflets 6-8 pair obtuse mucronate, peduncles 

 1-6-flowered, pod sessile hairy 2-seeded. Common Tare. 



Hedges and waste places ; fl. May-Aug. Habit of V. tetrasj>erma, but hairy ; 

 leaflets smaller, more numerous ; stipules often 4-lobed ; pedicels straighter ; 

 flowers smaller, and pods much shorter, sessile, hairy and 2-seeded. 

 DISTRIB. Europe (Arctic), N. Africa, N. and W. Asia to N. W. India ; introd. 

 in N. America. 



SECTION 2. Crac'ca. Perennial. Leaflets many. Flowers very many. 

 Calyx-tube gibbous at the base, teeth very unequal. Style equally pubes- 

 cent all round. Pod rather short, stipitate, 3-many-seeded. 



3. V. Crac'ca, L. ; tendrils branched, stipules 4-sagittate nearly entire, 

 flowers bright blue. 



Hedges, fields, and waste places ; ascending to 2,400 ft. in the Highlands ; 

 fl. June-Aug. Pubescent or slightly silky. Rootstock creeping. >'/./. 

 2-6 ft., angled, scandent or diffuse. Luii-m 1 4 in., sessile ; leaflets : \-l in., 

 linear-oblong, acute or mucronate. Ractme dense, 10-30-flowercd, unilateral ; 



