LEGUMINOS^E. CLXX. ERVUM. CLXXI. PISUM. 



327 



ered, shorter than the leaves ; teeth of calyx setaceous, longer 

 than the tube ; legumes glabrous, 4-seeded ; seeds globose. O- 

 H. Native of Tauria. This is perhaps nothing else but E. te- 

 traspermum, 



Loiseleur's Lentil. PI. cl. 



16 E. ARiSTA^ruM (Rafin. prec. p. 38. and in Desv. journ. bot. 

 1814. p. 270.) stems weak, angular; leaves with 3 pairs of 

 linear acute leaflets ; tendrils simple ; peduncles axillary, very 

 long, awned, and for the most part bearing 2 flowers each ; le- 

 gumes 2-G-seeded. O- H. Native of Sicily, on mount Etna, 

 and near Messina. 



,-/ji'<:(/-peduncled Lentil. PI. cl. 



17 E. DIPHY'LLUM (Besser in Balb. cat. hort. taur. 1813. 

 append. 1 . p. 1 1 .) leaflets unknown ; stipulas lanceolate ; tendrils 

 obsolete, having 2, rarely 4 leaflets ; peduncles 1 -flowered, 

 longer than the leaves; legumes finely pubescent. 0. H. 

 Native country unknown. Besser. cat. hort. lye. volh. suppl. 

 mss. no. 24. 



Two-leaved Lentil. PI. cl. 



18 E. VA'RIUM (Brot. fl. his. 2. p. 152.) leaflets linear, acutish, 

 pubescent beneath ; peduncles 3-4-flowered ; legumes glabrous ; 

 seeds 4-5, globose. O. H. Native of Portugal, about Coim- 

 bra. Flowers purplish ? 



Variable Lentil. PI. cl. 



Cult. None of the species of this genus are worth cultivat- 

 ing unless in botanical gardens. The seeds of them only require 

 to be sown in the open border in spring. 



CLXXI. PrSUM (pis in Celtic means a pea, hence pisum in 

 Latin). Tourn. inst. 394. t. 215. D. C. prod. 2. p. 368. Pi- 

 sum spec, of Lin. 



LIN. SYST. Diadelphia, Decandria. Calyx with foliaceous seg- 

 ments, the 2 superior ones shortest. Vexillum ample, reflexed. 

 Style compressed, carinated, villous above. Legume oblong, 

 rather compressed, but not winged. Seeds globose, numerous, 

 with a roundish hylum. Annual herbs, with abruptly-pinnate 

 cirrhiferous leaves, having 3 pairs of leaflets, and large foliaceous 

 stipulas. 



1 P. sATiVuM (Lin. spec. 1026.) petioles terete, bearing 3 

 pairs of ovate, entire, glaucous leaflets, with undulated margins, 

 usually opposite and mucronulate ; stipulas ovate, somewhat cor- 

 date, crenated at the base ; peduncles 2 or many-flowered; le- 

 gumes rather fleshy. O- H. Native of the south of Europe, 

 and now cultivated in fields and gardens throughout the world. 

 Lam. ill. 633. Flowers white or red. 



Var. a, saccharatum (Ser. mss. in D. C. prod. 2. p. 368.) 

 stem tall ; legumes rather coriaceous, between terete and com- 

 pressed ; seeds globose, distant. Lam. ill. 633. Tourn. inst. t. 

 215. Called in France Petits-pois and Pois-sucres, and in Eng- 

 land sugar-2>ea. 



Var. ft, macrocdrpum (Ser. 1. c.) stems large ; legumes large, 

 falcate, very much compressed, not coriaceous, every part 

 edible; seeds large, distant. Pisum sine cortice duriore, C. 

 Bauh. pin. 343. Called in France Pois-goulus, Pois-sans-par- 

 chemin, and Pois-mange-tout. 



Var. y, umbellcUum (Lin. spec. 1027.) stipulas quadrifid, 

 acute ; peduncles many-flowered, terminal, somewhat umbellate. 

 Tabern. icon. t. 459. P. umbellatum, Mill. diet. no. 3. Seeds 

 large, round, bay-coloured. Called in French Pois-a-bouquet, 

 and crown-pea in English. Perhaps a proper species. 



Var. o, quadrdtum (Lin. spec. 1027.) seeds very dense, square. 

 Pisum rnajus quadratum fructu cenerei coloris. C. Bauh. pin. 

 342. Called in French Pois-carre. 



Var. , lium/lc (Poir. diet. 5. p. 436.) stem weak, dwarf; legumes 

 smaller, rather coriaceous ; seeds approximate, roundish. P. 

 humile, Mill. diet. no. 2. Called in French Pois-nains, and 

 dwarf-pea in English. 



The varieties of the pea are very numerous, but the following 

 are the names of the principal sorts cultivated in gardens. 



1 Early Char Iton; an excellent early sort, nearly equal to the 

 genuine frame. 



2 Nimble -tailor ; an excellent early kind. 



3 Early golden-Charlton. 



4 Early Nicholas golden-Charlton. 



5 Common- Charlton. 



6 Early single-blossomed. 



7 Reading Hotspur ; long pods. 



8 Dwarf marrowfat ; large long pods. 



9 Tall marrowfat ; large long pods. 



10 Green marrowfat or Patagonian, 



11 Knight's wrinkled or marrow; a white-blossomed, tall 

 luxuriant grower ; the seeds of excellent flavour, cream-coloured 

 and shrivelled when ripe and dried. 



1 2 Spanish moratto ; rather large. 



1 3 Prussian blue ; a great bearer. 



14 Egg; rather large. 



1 5 White rouncival ; large fine pods. 



16 Green rouncival ; large fine pods. 



17 Grey rouncival; large fine pods. 



1 8 Tall sugar ; large crooked pods. 



19 Dwarf sugar. 



20 Bishop's dwarf; a very excellent early prolific kind. 



21 Cromn or rose ; a tall strong grower, producing its blos- 

 soms and fruit in an umbel at the top of each peduncle. 



22 Leadman's dwarf; a great bearer, but small in the pods ; 

 good for a late crop, or as required for succession. 



23 Spanish dwarf; of low growth and small pods. 



24 Early dwarf-frame ; the best kind for forcing. 



The pea has been cultivated in this country time immemorial. 

 It was not, however, very common in Elizabeth's time, when, as 

 Fuller informs us, peas were brought from Holland, and were 

 " fit dainties for ladies, they came so far, and cost so dear." The 

 use of the pea in cookery is familiar to every one. In one 

 variety, called the sugar-pea, the inner tough film of the pods is 

 wanting, and such pods when young are frequently boiled with 

 the seeds or peas within them, and eaten in the manner of kid- 

 ney-beans. This variety is comparatively new, having been in- 

 troduced about the middle of the 17th century. 



Estimate of sorts. The varieties, besides differing in the 

 colour of the blossoms, height of stalks, and mode of growth, 

 are found to have some material differences in hardiness to stand 

 the winter, time of coming in, and flavour of the seeds. The 

 Charltons are not only very early, but great bearers, and excel- 

 lent peas for the table, and are therefore equally well fitted for 

 the early crop, and forward succession crops, and inferior to 

 few even for the main summer crops. The frame-pea may, 

 indeed, be raised without the assistance of heat for a forward 

 crop, and if a genuine sort will fruit a few days sooner than the 

 Charltons, but it grows low and bears scantily. The Hotspur 

 is hardy and prolific, and makes returns nearly as quick as the 

 Charllons, and about a fortnight before the marrowfat. Si- 

 shop's dmarf-pea is an early kind and a great bearer. The 

 sorts already specified, therefore, embrace the best for sowings 

 made from the end of October till the middle of January, and 

 for late crops raised between the middle of June and the begin- 

 ning of August. 



The fine flavour of the marrowfat is well known. A few dwarf 

 marronf'ats may be sown in December and January, as mild 

 weather may occur ; but the time for sowing full crops of the 

 larger kinds of peas, is from the beginning of February till the 

 end of April. Knight's-pea and Bishop's dwarf, two of the 

 hardiest varieties, are very prolific, and retain their fine sweet 

 flavour when full grown. The egg, the maratto, the Prussian- 

 blue, and the rouncivals, the large sugar, and the crown, are 



