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V. Cracca L. Tufted Vetch. A very rampant species. Leaves with 10 

 pairs of linear-oblong leaflets. Stipules entire. Flowers bluish-purple, 15-20 in 

 a long dense unilateral raceme, on a peduncle often longer than the leaves, 

 pedicels short. Pod obliquely truncate, many seeded. 



The true plant is only found occasionally in our area on the borders of 

 woods above Menton, Nice, Grasse, etc., chiefly in the Chestnut zone and above, 

 but the two following sub-species are commoner, viz. : 



(i) V. imbricata Gilib. Fairly common in the Var. May, July. 



(ii) V. Gerard! All. = V. incana Vill. A stiffer and shorter plant 

 covered with long spreading hairs, leaflets more numerous and nearer together, 

 racemes denser at the top of the stems. Standard with limb equalling the claw. 

 Pod lengthened at the base into a narrow support. There seem to be many 

 intermediate forms connecting this sub-species with V. Cracca, for which reason 

 we prefer not to give it specific rank. 



Mountain pastures, especially on limestone. June. 



V. tenuifolia Roth. A handsome plant 3-6 ft. long, climbing. Leaflets 

 linear-oblong in 8-12 pairs. Limb of the standard twice the length of claw. 

 Flowers bluish-violet or mauve with whitish wings, 15-20 in very long clusters. 

 Pods 20-30 mm. long, glabrous. The " Black-veined White " seems fond of this. 



In crops and thickets, chiefly in the montane region. June-July. 



V. dasycarpa Ten. (1829) = V. varia Host. (1831). Stems climbing 

 or spreading. Leaflets linear-oblong or linear, in 5-8 pairs. Tube of calyx 

 swollen or bossed at the base, with unequal teeth. Flowers numerous, violet or 

 pink and white in racemes longer than the leaves. Claw of standard twice as long 

 as limb. Pod glabrous, on a stalk longer than calyx-tube. 



Fields and hedges. May-July. Annual or perennial. 



V. villosa Roth. (1793). Closely allied to the last and sometimes considered 

 a variety of it. Plant covered with soft spreading hairs. Cluster of flowers 

 quite plumose before flowering, owing to the long hairy teeth of the calyx. 

 Flowers more pendulous (almost horizontal in varia). 



Fields and crops. May-June. Probably annual. 



V. pseudocracca Bert. Annual, 1-3 ft. rampant. Leaflets in 4-7 pairs. 

 Stipules entire. Flowers bluish-violet with yellowish wings, large, opening at 

 same time, 3-6 in short loose racemes exceeding the leaves. Standard longer 

 than the wings. Calyx swollen at base, teeth unequal. Pod 30-35 mm. by 10, 

 glabrous, on a pedicel as long as calyx-tube. 



Garrigues, heaths, and on cultivated land. April, June. 



V. elegantissima Shuttle. Annual, 8 in.-ij ft. long, climbing, slender, 

 glabrous. Leaves with 5-7 pairs of narrow oblong-obtuse leaflets and branched 

 tendrils. Stipules unequal. Flowers pale bluish-violet, 14-15 mm. long, i or 2 

 on peduncles half length of leaves (wings not yellowish). Calyx-teeth very 

 unequal, and separated by almost truncate sinuses, the side teeth very small and 

 narrow. Pod 20-30 mm. by 6-8 mm., glabrous, fawn colour, with 5-8 seeds. 



Pine-woods and thickets at Porquerolles and the other lies d'Hyeres. Also 

 near Agay in Alpes-Marit. Very rare. May-June. Mons. Cavillier 1 has written 

 an elaborate paper on the subject of this Vetch, which he calls the variety 

 0. brevipes (Willk.) Cavillier of V. pseudocracca which he considers a 

 sub-species of V. villosa. It is also found in the Spanish province of Albacete, 

 but not known elsewhere. 



V. atropurpurea Desf. (Plate XIV). A softly hairy climbing annual 

 species, 1-3 ft. long. Leaflets in 5-8 pairs, oblong, narrow. Flowers dark 

 crimson (almost black) at tip, pale reddish-purple elsewhere. Calyx purplish- 

 green, very unequally toothed, 2 short, 2 long, and i still longer tooth, all 



1 Note sur les caracteres et les affinites du Vicia elegantissima Shuttle, in 

 " Annuaire du Conserv. et du Jardin bot. de Geneve " (1908). 



