20 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



Var. /3, Dillenii. 



A. Dillenii, Schultz. Boreau, 1. c. 



Flowers red. Involucre nearly as long as the flowers. 



On dry banks and pastures. E.atlier common, and generally 

 distributed. Var. & on the South-west coast of England and Wales. 



England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Summer. 



Rootstock woody, branching into numerous heads, which pro- 

 duce straight, stiff, ascending stems, 6 to 18 inches long, or even 

 more. Root-leaves on long stalks, with a large elliptical terminal 

 leaflet, and frequently a few much smaller lateral ones. Stem- 

 leaves with from 2 to 6 pair of linear-elliptical leaflets, and an odd 

 one. Elower-heads 1 to 1^ inch across, subsessile, involucrate, 

 generally in pairs at the top of the stem, one of them a Uttle more 

 distinctly stalked than the other; occasionally there are axillary 

 sessile heads, but more generally the axillary heads are at the 

 termination of short branches. Elowers f inch long, not much 

 exceeding the calyx. Petals with very long claws. Limb of the 

 standard with an appendage at the base on each side ; wings and 

 keel adhering together. Pod about ^ inch long, half-oval, apicu- 

 late, glabrous, reticulated. Seeds 1 or 2, ovoid, smooth. 



Var. 3 is smaller than a, and may be a distinct sub-species ; but 

 I have only seen dried specimens, and none of them have the ripe 

 fruit from which Professor Boreau takes some of his characters ; 

 his A. Dillenii having the pod more longly stipitate, and with 

 a straight instead of a curved apiculus. 



Common Kidney Vetch, Ladies' -finger, or Lamb-toe. 



French, Anthyllide Vulniraire. German, Gemeiner Wundklee. 



The specific name of this plant indicates its reputation in pharmacy as an 

 astringent and vulnerary. It is said that Gesner first raised the report of its proper- 

 ties in this respect, which are, however, very doubtful, and possibly consist in nothing 

 but its soft downy nature, which may on emergency serve to stanch blood, and give 

 time for nature to effect a cure. The belief in its virtues was, however, great at one 

 time, and in 1727 it was regularly sold in the Dublin market by the name of Stanch. 

 A yellow dye may be obtained from it. It affords excellent pasture for sheep. 

 Where the soil was a reddish clay, Linnaeus remarked the blossoms to be red ; but in 

 ■white clay, white. 



Dr. Withering says : " In Portugal we have always found them red." In 

 England most commonly, as the rustic poet observes, — 



" The yellow Lamb-toe I have often got, 

 Sweet creeping o'er the banks in. sunny time." 



All the species of Anthyllis are very beautiful when in flower, and this little 

 British species is quite worth cultivation, 



