998 VICIA, [CLASS XVII. ORDER II. 
a dark spot underneath; calyx cylindrical, with nearly equal lanceo- 
late linear teeth, as long as the tube; legume oblong, erect, pube- 
scent ; seeds sub-globose, smooth, 
English Botany, t. 334.—English Flora, vol. iii. p. 281—Hooker, 
British Flora, ed. 4. vol. i. p. 270.—Lindley, Synopsis, p. 84. 
Root fibrous, the whole plant smooth, or more or less clothed with 
tawny pubescence. Stem varying from a few inches to two or three 
feet high, angular, striated and furrowed, leafy, procumbent and 
branched below. Leaves alternate, with the common footstalk long, 
channeled, tapering, and terminating in a branched tendril, leaflets 
from four to twelve, opposite or alternate, obovate or oblong retuse, 
and frequently the upper leaves with linear lanceolate ones, all with 
the mid-rib prominent on the under side, and terminating in a bristle 
point of greater or less length. Stipules half arrow-shaped, and 
more or less toothed, the under side impressed with a dot of a dark or 
pale colour. Inflorescence axillary, nearly sessile, flowers solitary, or 
in pairs. Calyx tubular, oblique at the base, ribbed, the teeth linear 
lanceolate, erect, straight, about as long asthe tube. Corolla smooth, 
purplish blue, orred. Legume linear, erect, compressed, and slightly 
downy, dark brown. Seeds several, sub-globose, dark brown, sub- 
villous. 
Habitat.—W aste and cultivated ground ; frequent. 
Annual; flowering in June. 
This is an extremely variable plant in the size and shape of its 
leaves and flowers, which seems to depend upon the kind of soil and 
situation in which it has grown; and we have sought in vain for any 
specific characters by which the narrow leaved varieties can be distin- 
guisbed from the following species; it perhaps would be better to 
follow De Candolle, and unite the two species and their varieties 
under the same name. 
This is a common and valuable agricultural plant, commonly 
known by the name of tare, fetch, or vetch, of which there are the 
winter and summer varieties; the former is sown for a winter crop in 
September or October, and the latter from February to June, and 
used for successive cuttings. For successful cultivation vetches re- 
quire a rich, rather damp soil, and are cut when in full flower. They 
are esteemed profitable and excellent food for milch cows and working 
cattle, especially during the summer or spring months. They are 
seldom allowed to stand until the seeds are ripe, except for the pur- 
pose of the seed for sowing or feeding pigeons. 
8. V. angustifolia, Sibth. (Fig. 1161.) Narrow-leaved Crimson 
Vetch. Flowers nearly sessile, axillary, solitary, or in pairs ; leaflets 
in about seven pairs, those of the lower leaves obovate, emarginate, 
retuse, of the upper linear lanceolate, obtuse, or truncated, smooth or 
hairy ; stipules half arrow-shaped, toothed and impressed with a pale 
