Vicia.] LEGTJM1N0SJE. 107 



16. VIC'IA, L. Vetch, Take. 



Climbing or diffuse herbs. Stems terete, angled, or ridged. Leaves 

 abruptly pinnate ; petiole usually ending in a simple or branched tendril ; 

 leaflets many, entire or toothed at the tip ; stipules ^-sagittate. 

 Floivers blue purple or yellow, axillary, racemed, honeyed. Calyx-teeth 

 subequal or the lower longer. Wings adnate to the keel, which is resilient 

 after deflection. Staminal tube abruptly truncate; filaments filiform, 

 upper more or less free ; anthers uniform. Style inflexed, cylindric or 

 flattened, glabrous or downy all round, or bearded below the terminal 

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

 with a small aril. — Distrib. Temp. N. hemisphere, and S. America ; 

 species 100. — Etym. The old Latin name. 



Section 1. Er'vum, B. (gen.). Annuals. Leaflets few. Flowers few. 

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



1. V. tetrasper'ma, Mcench ; leaflets 3-6 pair, peduncles 1-2-fld., pod 

 shortly stipitate glabrous 3-8-seeded. 



Hedges, cornfields, &c, from Lanark and Forfar southd. ; hardly indigenous 

 in Scotland ; Ireland, very rare ; Channel Islands ; fl. May-Aug.— Almost 

 glabrous. Stems 1-2 ft., filiform. Leaflets variable, |-1 in., usually trun- 

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

 entire toothed on the base at one side. Peduncles f-1^ in., produced 

 beyond the flowers; pedicels slender, curved. Floivers J in., pale blue. 

 Calyx-tUbe short, upper teeth shortest. Pod ^-f in., linear oblong. — Distrib. 

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



V. tetrasper'ma proper ; leaflets 4-6 obtuse mucronate, peduncles as long as 

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



Sub-sp. V. grac'ilis, Loisel. ; leaflets 3-4 pair acuminate, peduncles longer 

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

 Cambridge to Kent and Devon; (a native or colonist, Wats.). 



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

 1-6-fld. pod sessile hairy 2-seeded. Common Tare. 



Hedges and waste places, from Caithness southd. ; Ireland ; Channel Islands ; 

 fl. May-Aug. — Habit of V. tetrasper'ma, 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, N-.W. India; introd. in N. America. 



Section 2. Crac'ca. Perennials. Leaflets many. Flowers very many. 

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

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



3. V. Crac'ca, L. ; tendrils branched, stipules nearly entire, flowers 

 bright blue. 



Hedges, fields, and waste places, N". to Shetlands ; ascends to 2,400 ft. in 

 the Highlands; Ireland; Channel Islands; fl. June- Aug. — Pubescent or 

 slightly silky. Rootstock creeping. Stems 2-6 ft., angled, scandent or 

 diffuse. Leaves 1-4 in., sessile; leaflets ^-1 in., linear-oblong, acute or 



