16 



L AT 



THE UNIVERSAL HERBAL; 



1. AT 



half five-cleft, bell-shaped ; divisions lanceolate, sharp ; the 

 two upper ones shorter, the lowest longer. Corolla: papi- 

 lionaceous ; standard obcordate, very large, reflex on the 

 sides and tip ; wings oblong, lunulate, short, obtuse ; keel 

 half-orbiculate, size of the wings, and wider than the wings, 

 gaping inwards in the middle. Stamina : filamenta diadel- 

 phous, (single and nine-cleft) rising upwards ; antheree 

 roundish. Pistil: germen compressed, oblong, linear; style 

 erected upwards, flat, wider above, with a sharp tip ; stigma 

 from the middle of the style to the tip villose in front. Peri- 

 carp : legume very long, cylindric or compressed, acuminate, 

 one-celled, bivalve. Seeds: several, cylindric, globose, or 

 but little cornered. ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. Calix : two 

 upper segments shorter. Style : flat, villose above, broader 

 at the end. All the plants of this genus may be propagated 

 by sowing their seeds either in spring or autumn ; but those 

 sown in autumn, should have a light soil and a warm situa- 

 tion, where the plants will abide the winter, flower early in 

 the following spring, and ripen their seeds in July; but those 

 which are sown in spring should have an open exposure, 

 and may be planted upon almost any soil, if not too wet, 

 for they are not tender plants, nor do they require much 

 culture. They should all be sown where they are designed 

 to remain, for they seldom succeed when they are trans- 

 planted, unless it be done while the plants are young- ; so 

 that where they are sown for ornament, there should be four 

 or five seeds sown in a small patch, in different parts of the 

 borders of the flower-garden ; when they come up, weed 

 them carefully, and when they are grown two or three inches 

 high, put some sticks down to support them, otherwise they 

 will trail on the ground, or whatever plants stand near 



them, and become unsightly. The species are, 



* With one-flowered Peduncles. 



1. Lathyrus Aphaca; Yellow Lathyrus, or Vetchling. 

 Peduncles one-flowered ; tendrils leafless ; stipules sagittate- 

 cordate. Root annual, fibrous ; stem from a foot to eighteen 

 inches or more in height, trailing, or climbing, four-cornered, 

 smooth ; flowers small, solitary, axillary ; corolla, standard 

 yellow, striped on the inside with blue lines ; wings yellow, 

 nearly round, the length of the keel, with two unequal paler 

 claws ; keel pale sulphur-coloured, cloven behind. Native 

 of most parts of Europe, in corn-fields, chiefly in light land, 

 flowering in June, July, and August. It has been observed 

 near Tottenham and Enfield, and between Bungay and Nor- 

 wich ; it is not uncommon in Cambridgeshire. 



2. Lathyrus Nissolia; Crimson Lathyrus, or Grass Vetch. 

 Peduncles one-flowered; leaves simple; stipules awl-shaped. 

 Stem upright, simple, angular, twisted, slightly hairy; corolla 

 beautiful crimson colour : hence the flowers are so elegant, 

 that it deserves to be admitted into the garden. The young 

 plant before it flowers is so like a grass, owing to its simple 

 grassy leaves, that an experienced botanist might fail to 

 discover it, especially arnlSng mowing grass, where it usually 

 occurs : it is also found on the borders of corn-fields among 

 bushes, and in woods ; but does not appear to be very com- 

 mon in England, which certainly may arise from its being 

 so liable to be overlooked. 



3. Lathyrus Spheoricus. Peduncles one-flowered, awned ; 

 tendrils two-leaved, quite simple ; leaflets ensiform. Flowers 

 small, like those of the preceding. Native place unknown. 



4. Lathyrus Amphicarpos ; Subterranean Lathyrus, or 

 Earth Pea. Peduncles one-flowered, longer than the calix ; 

 tendrils two-leaved, quite simple. Root annual, filiform, with 

 here and there ovate-sessile tubercles ; flowers pale purple. 

 Stems several, weak, two-edged ; there are other stems des- 

 titute of leaves, roundish, creeping under ground, whitish, 



and bearing flowers and fruit absolutely perfect, and resem- 

 bling those on the stems above ground, except that the 

 flowers are smaller, and do not expand. Native of the Levant. 



5. Lathyrus Cicera ; Flat-podded Lathyrus, or Dwarf 

 Chickling Vetch. Peduncles one-flowered; tendrils two- 

 leaved ; legumes ovate, compressed, channelled on the back. 

 Root annual, simple; flowers of a middling size; corolla 

 white or pale yellow, or red and white, very seldom blue, 

 sometimes quite red, or deep purple. It flowers in June and 

 July. Native of France and Spain. 



6. Lathyrus Sativus ; Common Lathyrus, or Blue Chichling 

 Vetch. Peduncles one-flowered ; tandrils two or four leaved ; 

 legumes ovate, compressed, two-edged at the back. The 

 same habit as the preceding ; flower twice as large, generally 

 white, sometimes tinged with purple, or having a rose-coloured 

 standard, or blue or blue and white variegated, in its native 

 countries ; but in our gardens it is distinguished by the blue 

 colour of the corolla, though we sometimes have a milk- 

 white variety. The seed-pods afford a more certain mark 

 of distinction, being usually short, broad, and winged on 

 the back. In several parts of the continent, a white light 

 pleasant bread is made from the flour of this pulse ; but it 

 produced such dreadful effects, that the dukes of Wirtem- 

 berg forbad the use of it by edict in 1671, 1705, and 1714. 

 Mixed with wheat flour in half the quantity, it makes very 

 good bread, that appears to be harmless ; but bread made 

 of this flour only, has brought on a most surprising rigidity 

 of the limbs in those who have used it for a continuance ; 

 insomuch that the exterior muscles could not by any means 

 be reduced, or have their natural action restored. These 

 symptoms usually appeared on a sudden, without any previous 

 pain ; but sometimes they were preceded by a weakness and 

 disagreeable sensation about the knees ; baths both hot and 

 cold, fomentations, and ointments of various kinds, have 

 been tried without effect ; insomuch that it is regarded as 

 incurable, and being neither very painful nor fatal, those who 

 were seized with it usually submitted to it with patience. 

 Swine fattened with the meal, lost the use of their limbs, 

 but grew very fat lying upon the ground. A horse, fed 

 some months on the dried herb, was said to have his legs 

 perfectly rigid. Cows are reported to grow lean on it, but 

 sheep not to be affected. Pigeons, especially if young, lose 

 the power of walking by feeding on the seed ; poultry will 

 not readily touch it; but geese eat it without any apparent 

 detriment ; and as it is commonly sown in Switzerland for 

 soiling horses, and the cattle there feed on the herb without 

 any harm, it would be well worth the trouble of ascertaining 

 whether the noxious qualities of this plant do not greatly, if 

 not entirely, depend upon the soil in which it is cultivated, 

 for it has been already observed, that the seed is much more 

 deleterious from a strong, fat, moist soil, than from dry lands. 

 The Florentine peasants eat it boiled, or mixed with wheat 

 flour, in the quantity of one-fourth, without receiving any 

 harm. In the countries where it is cultivated, the seeds are 

 sown at the end of August or the beginning of September, or 

 in the spring, and in strong ground ; for in a light dry soil, 

 the roots are very weak, and it is apt to be destroyed by 

 spring frosts. Its produce is very abundant, and the culture 

 not being expensive, is very general in some parts. 



7. Lathyrus Inconspicuus ; Small-flowered Lathyrus. 

 Peduncles one-flowered, shorter than the calix ; tendrils two- 

 leaved, simple ; leaflets lanceolate ; standard and wings of 

 the corolla deep red. Native of the Levant. 



8. Lathyrus Setifolius. Peduncles one-flowered ; tendrils 

 two-leaved; leaflets setaceous, linear. Annual. Found near 

 Montpellier ; and on Monte Baldo, in Italy. 



