LATHYRUS.] LEGUMINOS^. 103 



17. LATH'YRUS, L. EVERLASTING PEA, BlTTER-VETCH. 



Herbs with the habit of Vicia, but fewer leaflets, petals broader, stami- 

 nal tube obliquely truncate, and the style flattened and longitudinally 

 bearded on its inner face. DISTRIB. of Vicia; species 100. ETYM. Aii 

 old Greek name. 



SECTION 1. Aph'aca, annual. Stipules leaf-like. Leaves reduced to 

 tendrils. Calyx-tube equal at the base, shorter than the teeth. 



1. Ii. Aph'aca, L. ; stipules ovate-hastate acute or obtuse, peduncles 

 elongate 1 -flowered, flowers erect. 



Cornfields, &c. from Warwick, Lincoln, and Cambridge southwards ; a colo- 

 nist, Watson; fl. June-July. Glabrous. Stems 1-3 ft., trailing. Leaflets 

 chiefly seen on seedlings, then oblong, when developed on older plants linear 

 -j| i Q . 5 stipules ^-1 in. broad, quite entire, striated with nerves. Peduncles 

 slender, stout and 2-3 in. in fruit ; pedicel in., with a minute bract at its 

 base. Flowers \ in.', pale yellow. Calyx-lobes green, linear, nearly as long 

 as the corolla. Pod 1-1^ in., ^in. broad, ascending, slightly falcate, beaked, 

 reticulate, 6-8-seeded. DISTRIB. Europe from Denmark southwards, N. 

 Africa, W. Asia to India. 



SECTION 2. Nisso'lia. Annual. Stipules minute, setaceous ; tendrils 0. 

 Petioles leaf-like (phyllodes). Calyx rather gibbous at the base. 



2. Ii. Nisso'lia, L. ; phyllodes grass-like, peduncles Very slender 

 1 -flowered, flowers erect. 



Grassy bushy places from Derbyshire southwards, and as an escape north of 

 it ; fl. May-June. Glabrous. Stems 1-3 ft., ascending, very slender. Phyl- 

 lt>il<>!t 3-6 in., quite entire ; nerves many, parallel. Peduncles 1-4 in., pedicel 

 as long as the calyx ; bracts obsolete. Flowers in., crimson. Calyx-teeth 

 lanceolate, lower teeth longest. Pod 1-2 in., very slender, slightly com- 

 pressed, glabrous. Seeds granulate. DISTRIB. W. and S. Europe from Hol- 

 land southwards, N. Africa. 



SECTION 3. Lath'yrus proper. Petioles all with leaflets and tendrils. 

 Calyx gibbous at the base. 



* leaflets one pair. Flowering peduncles longer tJian the leaves. 



3. Ii. hirsu'tus, L. ; stem winged, leaflets linear-lanceolate, stipules 

 small ^-sagittate, peduncles 1-3-flowered, calyx-teeth ovate-lanceolate 

 longer than the tube, pods tubercled densely silky, seeds papillose. 

 Fields in Surrey and Essex, very rare ; a colonist, Watson ; fl. June-July. 



Annual, almost glabrous except the pod. Stems 2-4 ft., angled and 2-winged, 

 wings herbaceous, T j in. broad. Leaves scattered ; petioles -^ in. ; tendrils 

 stout, branched; leaflets 1-2 J in., nerves parallel; stipules with long sub- 

 ulate auricles. Peduncles 2-3 in. ; flowers 2, distant, pedicels as long as the 

 calyx, hairy ; bracts minute, subulate. Flowers ^ in. ; standard crimson, 

 keel and wings paler. Calyx-tube short, obconic. Pod 1^2 in., ^ in. 

 broad, stipitate, dilated upwards, 8-10-seeded. DISTRIB. W. and S. Europe 

 from Belgium southwards, N. Africa. 



4. L. praten sis, L. ; stem acutely angled, leaflets lanceolate, stipules 

 very large lanceolate, sagittate, peduncles 3-12-flowered, calyx-teeth sub- 

 ulate as long as the tube, pod glabrous or hairy, seeds smooth. 



