S»S LATHTRUS 



Latbynis, characterized in part by the lack of tendrils. 

 (See, also, Orobiis.) Lathyrus has Its. equally pinnate, 

 ending in a tendril or in a point; Ifts. 2 or several; stip- 

 ules leafy, large and prominent, half-sagittate: fls. soli- 

 tary or racemose, on long axillary peduncles; calyx ob- 

 lique-campanulate, 5-parted, the upper teeth often 

 shorter; corolla dark blue, violet, rose, white or yellow. 

 or a union of these, the standard large, broadly obovate 

 or roundish, notched, with a short claw, the wings tal- 

 cate-obovate or oblong, the keel sliorter than the wings, 

 incurved, obtuse ; stamens dia- 

 delphous (9 and I) or monodel- 

 phous below: ovary a one-celled 

 pod, several-ovuled; style 

 curved, usually twisted, flattened, 

 hairy along the inner side ; pod 

 flat or terete, 2-vaIved, dehis- 

 cent. 



A. Habit climbing : Ivs. tendril-bearing. [Latliyrus. 

 B. Annuals: leaflets one pair. 



1. odoratus. Linn. Sweet Pea. Stem rough-hairy, 

 winged : Ifts, oval or oblong, mucronulate ; stipules 

 lanceolate peduncle 2— 1-fld., much longer than the Ivs. : 

 fls. in shades of blue, red, yellow and white, fragrant, 

 the shield large and showy, expanded, sometimes 

 "hooded:" pod 1-2 in. Summer. Sicily. B.M.60. — For 

 culture and varieties, see Sweet Pea. 



2. TiniTitJtnus, Linn. Tangier Scarlet Pea. Pig. 

 1242. Sts. spreading, winged, glabrous, 3 ft. long: Ifts. 

 linear-lanceolate, obtuse, mucronulate; stipules lanceo- 

 late: peduncle 2-fld., longerthan the Ivs.: fls. 1 in. long. 



LATHYRUS 



dark red-purple; shield large, purple, wings and keel 

 bright red: pod 4-5 in. long. June, July. W. Medi- 

 terranean region. B.M. 100. — An earlier annual than 

 the Sweet Pea. and because of its vigor should be kept 

 away from it or it will run it out. 



BB. Perennials. 



c. Lvs. with 1 pair of leaflets. 



D. Stipules narrow. 



3. grandifldrUB, Sibth. and Sm. Everlasting Pea. 

 Two-FLOWEREL) Pea. Stem winged, 4-6 ft. long: Ifts. 

 large, ovate, obtuse, mucronulate, undulate ; tendrils 

 branched, short; stipules small: peduncles 2-3-fld., 

 longerthan the lvs.: shield large, obcordate, notched, 

 broad, rose-purple, wings dark purple: pod linear, 3 in. 

 June, July. S. Eu. B.M. 1938. — Larger vine than i. (u/i- 

 folius, but weaker and less rampant. Fls. as large as 

 those of the Sweet Pea. Free-flowering, succeeding in 

 any soil, not rei|uiring much light. Adapted to banks, 

 along walk-margins in woods, among strong shrubs, and 

 as a covering for rocks. 



4. sylvfestris, Linn. Flat Pea. Stem straggling or 

 climbing, 3-5 ft. long, stout, winged, glabrous, with creep- 

 ing rootstock: Ifts. linear-lanceolate, thick, with winged 

 leafstalk: peduncle 3-()-fld., equaling the lvs.: fls. Hin. 

 long; standard rose, with green spot on its back; wings 

 purple at summit; keel greenish: pod lanceolate, 2-3 in. 

 long. All summer. All Europe, in thickets and rocky 

 places. — Inferior ornamentally to other perennials, but 

 valuable as a forage plant for cattle and U<r pinwing 

 Tinder in a green state as a fertilizer, (iiows well on 

 poor, unimproved sandy soil, and is unaffected by frosts 

 and droughts. For garden culture, it may be sown in a 

 seed-bed and transplanted when of suitable size. Its 



seeds in the wild state are said to 

 be to some degree unhealthful, 

 but in the cultivated form this 

 quality has been bred out. 



5. rotundiSblius.Willd. Persian 

 Everlasting Pea. Low-grow- 

 ing, winged species : Ifts. ovate; 

 sti|)ules toothed: peduncles 

 many-fld., longer than the lvs.: 

 fls. large, rose-pink. June. Rus- 

 sia and the East. B.M. 6.522.— A 

 species of easy culture, requiring 

 a cool, shady and sheltered posi- 

 tion. Adapted to stony banks, 

 (i. Slbthorpi, Baker). Stems 

 twiniuf,'. brnaiUv winged: Ifts. oblong; pe<bnicle .5-6-fld. : 

 fls. a iHMUv.-r.'.l. S.B.F.G.333.-A form intermediate 

 between /y. liilifolius and L.rolutnlifoliii.<i. A somewhat 

 tender species, said to be 6 weeks earlier than any other. 



DD. Stipules broad. 



7. latifblius, Linn. Everlasting Pea. Perennial 

 Pea. Fig. 1243. Stem winged, 4-8 ft. : Ifts. ovate-elliptic 

 or ovate-lanceolate, somewhat glaucous, mucronate, 2-3 

 in. long; tendril branching: peduncle many fld., longer 

 than the Ivs.: fls. rose, large : pod flat, 4-5 in. long. 

 Aug. Woods of Europe. — This is the common Perennial 

 Pea, and one of the hardiest and most easily cultivated 

 species, thriving almost anywhere, even among flags and 

 boulders. A rampant grower, it is a good trellis plant, 

 and is adapted as a cover to wild, rough places, where 

 it scrambles over bushes and stones. It succeeds in 

 shade and grows rapidly, but, like all species of Lathy- 

 rus, it is impatient of removal, owing to the size and 

 length of its roofs. Has no place in the border. Its 

 varieties are not clearly defined. Var. dlbus, Hort., the 

 white form, is adaptid ti. tlie s:uiif' uses iis ili,- type, and 

 is, besides, valuable to florists wanting wliiii- flowers in 

 midsummer. Var. spUndens, Hort., dark )>urple and 

 red, is said to be the best form of the ty]»e, but does not 

 come true from seed. There is a striped form. also. 

 Other trade names are vars. albiildrus and grandiUorus. 



8. Magell4nicus, Lam. Lord Anson's Blue. Stem 

 3-5 ft. loiiir. smooth, angled, somewhat branched: Ifts. 

 ovate or ohloiiu' linear; tendrils branched; stipules cor 

 date-sagittate, broad: peduncles long, 3-4-fld. : fls. dark 

 purple-blue. June, July. Straits of Magellan. S.B.F.G. 

 II. 344. — A strong-growing, woody, almost evergreen 



