440 



ON SEEDLINGS 



intermediate positions where the cotyledons are oblique, and one 

 petiole becomes somewhat elongated accordingly. 



Stem annual, erect, tetragonous, with obtuse angles, glabrous, 

 a pale glaucous-green above ground, while the subterranean part is 

 colourless ; 1st internode subterranean or partly so, 1-2 cm. long ; 

 2nd 3-5-6 mm. ; 3rd 7-10 mm. ; the rest similarly short. 



Leaves simple and compound, or reduced to scale-like organs or 

 elongated, forming a slender, filiform, or obtusely-angled tendril, 

 cauline, alternate, distichous, stipulate, petiolate or sessile, or reduced 

 to a petiole, glabrous, glaucous-green ; petiole of third and fourth leaf 

 convex on the back, channelled above, and projecting beyond, or 

 rather between, the leaflets in the 

 form of a small, subulate, acute point ; 

 stipules of the first and second leaf sub- 

 ulate, acute, attached by one side for 

 about one-third their length to the 

 leaf, entire or furnished with an 

 acute, ascending tooth on the side 

 away from the leaf those of the third 

 and fourth leaf half-ovate or sagittate, 

 acuminate, with one to two acute teeth 

 at the lower angle on the posterior side, 

 entire on the anterior side those of 

 the rest of the leaves large, foliaceous, 

 performing the functions of leaves, 

 deltoid, subhastate, cuspidate or apicu- 

 late, with one to two minute teeth at 

 the base on each side, otherwise entire, 

 FIG. 285. Lathyrus Aphaca. A, glaucous, furnished with numerous 

 fTo e I^a^of d pLT d BoKS parallel nerves that are directed first 

 nat. size. outward from the base, and upward, 



then somewhat inward, where they unite with those immediately 

 above them close to the margin, while the few lowest are directed 

 into basal teeth or angles, and are entire or forked ; a branch from 

 the lowest curved nerve is frequently directed straight into the tooth. 

 Nos. 1 and 2. Subulate, acute, very small, and appearing trifid 

 owing to the adnate and similar stipules. 



Nos. 3 and 4. Compound, pinnate, with one pair of leaflets and 

 a subulate point ; leaflets oblong-elliptic, acute, trinerved longi- 

 tudinally with smaller intermediate nerves, concave owing to the 

 upcurved sides, entire, glaucous. 



Immediately above this the leaves are reduced to small subulate 

 points concealed by the foliaceous stipules. 



