190 



OROBUS. 



than the leaves ; calyx hairy, with 5 

 teeth, 2 very short, the lower one very 

 long. Leaves, of 4 or 5 pairs of broadly- 

 oval pointed leaflets, with divergent 



veins. Stems angular. Iberia. 



Borders, in ordinary soil. Division. 



Orobus atropurpureus (Dark-purple 

 0.) A Vetch-like herb ; 1 to 14 ft. 

 high. Flowers, in early summer ; pur- 

 ple, drooping ; stalks many-flowered, 

 1 -sided, forming a dense raceme at the 

 top ; corolla lengthened ; teeth of 

 calyx short, nearly equal, blunt. 

 Leaves, with one or several pairs of 

 smooth, narrow, acute leaflets ; sti- 

 pules semi-arrow-shaped, very narrow, 

 awned ; stems nearly simple, striped. 



Mediterranean region. Borders, in 



sandy loam. Division or seed. 



Orobus cyaneus (Blue Bitter Vetcli). 

 Platystylis cyaneus A handsome 

 dwarf Vetch-like herb ; 6 to 12 in. 

 high. Flowers, in spring ; blue when 

 first opening, changing to purple, large, 

 handsome ; stalks few-flowered ; seg- 

 ments of calyx lance-shaped, hardly 

 as long as the tube ; style very broad, 

 a character which Sweet thought 

 sufficient to separate it from the genus 

 Orobus. Leaves, composed of 2 or 3 

 pairs of closely-set, narrowly lance* 

 shaped, acute leaflets ; stem simple, 

 striped. Caucasus. The rock- 

 garden and borders, in deep and 

 well - drained sandy loam. Divi- 

 sion and seed. 



Orobus lathyroides (LatJtyrus-like 0. ) 

 A showy species with broad, smooth 

 leaflets, and black roots ; 1 ft. to 1 ft. 

 high. Flowers, early in summer ; fine 

 blue, small, numerous, in close spikes, 

 3 or 4 in number, springing from the 

 axils of the upper leaves; teeth of 

 calyx shorter than the tube. Leaves, 

 composed of two leaflets, which are 

 nearly 2 in. long and 1 in. across, 

 oval-lanceolate, acute, with straggling 

 nerves ; stipules half -arrow- shaped, 

 toothed at the base. Stem rigid, bent 



near the top, slightly winged, not 



branching. Siberia. Borders, in 



ordinary soil. Division and seed. 



Orobus lu teiis (Yellow 0.) A 

 good but not showy kind, 1 to 

 1-4 ft. high. Flowers, early in sum- 

 mer ; yellowish, the back of the 

 standard purplish-brown, in axillary 

 clusters of from 6 to 8 blooms. Leaves, 

 usually of 4 or 5 pairs of oval, pointed 

 leaflets, which are about 1 4 in. long, and 

 nearly 4 in. broad ; stipules large, half - 

 arrow-shaped, toothed near the base. 

 Siberia. Borders and naturaliza- 

 tion in ordinary soil. Division or seed. 



Orobus variegatus ( Variegated Bitter 

 Vetch}. An attractive perennial, with 

 two firm and opposite wings on its 

 wiry, zigzag stems, which ascend to 

 about 1 ft. in height. Flowers, in 

 early summer; small, beautifully 

 variegated, the standard a fine rose 

 with a network of purplish-crimson 

 veins, the points of the side petals 

 being blue ; segments of calyx narrow, 

 acute, as long as the tube. Leaves, with 

 2 or 3 pairs of lance- shaped leaflets, 

 with almost parallel nerves ; stipules 

 ovate, en tire, acute, much smaller than 

 the leaflets. Southern Italy and Cor- 

 sica. Borders, in ordinary garden 



soil. Division and seed. 



Orobus vernus (Spring Bitter Vetch). 

 The most beautiful of its family at 

 present known to us ; 10 in. to 14 ft. 

 high. Flowers, in spring ; purple and 

 blue, with red veins, the keel tinted 

 with green, the whole changing to 

 blue ; freely produced on one-sided, 

 nodding stalks, shorter than the 

 leaves ; segments of the calyx broad, 

 hardly as long as the tube, lower one 

 longest. Leaves, with 2 or 3 pairs of 

 shining ovate leaflets ; stipules semi- 

 arrow-shaped, entire ; stems zigzag. 

 Boots black ; 0. flaccidus is a variety 

 with very narrow flaccid leaflets. 



Southern and Central Europe. 



Borders, fringes of shrubberies, etc., in 



