LEGUMINIFER^. 87 



tliey spring, frequently 3 or 4 inches long. The flowers are more 

 minicrous, larger, ^ inch long, more dcei)ly tinged with lilac-hlue 

 at the apex. The pods more shortly stipitate, longer, ij to ^^ inch 

 long. The seeds dark brown or very dark olive mottled with l)lack, 

 uith the hilum very minute, about once and a half as long as broad. 

 Tiie foliage of this species is also rather more glaucous than that 

 of the last. 



The ditlerently shaped hilum of the seeds is an important cha- 

 racter which invariably accompanies the longer peduncles and pods 

 with mor(> numerous seeds. The length of the hilum appears a con- 

 stant character in all the Vetches. 



Many-seeded Slender Tare. 



French, Vesce Grile. Germai), Schlanle Erve. 



Section II.— CRACCA. Biv. 



Leaves with many pairs of leaflets. Peduncles elongated, many- 

 flowered. Flowers racemose, rather large. Style pubescent all round 

 towards the apex. Pods stipitate, rather short, many-seeded. 



SPECIES IV.— VI CIA CRACCA. Limi. 

 Plate CCCLXXXV. 

 Cracca major, " Franken.'" Gr. <fe Godr. Fl. de Fr. Vol. I. p. 468. 



Rootstock creeping. Stem climbing or trailing. Leaves with 

 8 to 12 pairs of oblong-elliptical or oblong-linear leaflets, rounded or 

 abruptly acuminated and mucronate at the apex ; common petiole 

 terminating in a branched tendril. Stipules half-hastate. Pedun- 

 cles equalling or exceeding the leaves, with 10 to 30 flowers in a 

 compact unilateral raceme. Pedicels shorter than the calyx-tulje. 

 Calyx slightly pubescent, the tube more convex on the upper than 

 on the lower side ; teeth very unequal, the lowest subulate and as 

 long as the tube, the 2 upper ones broader than long; standnrd 

 three times as long as the calyx, contracted above the middle. 

 Pods spreading, stipitate on a gynophore shorter than the calyx- 

 tube, oblong, slightly compressed, acuminated at the aj;ex into 

 a short blunt beak, smooth. Seeds globular, with the hilum linear, 

 one-third the cii'cumference of the seed. 



In hedges, thickets, borders of fields, and waste places. Very 

 common, and generally distributed. 



England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Summer. 



Rootstock creeping. Stem weak, simple or branched, with 

 prominent ridges, climbing or trailing, 18 inches to 6 feet long. 



