lEGUMINIFER^. 89 



5 to 20 flowers in a short compact unilateral raceme. Pedicels 

 nearly as long as the calyx-tube. Calyx slightly pubescent ; the 

 tube more convex on the upper than on the lower side ; teeth 

 unequal, triangular, the lowest one narrowest and longest, but 

 shorter than the tube, the 2 upper ones nearly as long as broad. 

 Standard three times as long as the calyx, not contracted above 

 the middle. Pods spreading, stipitate on a gynophore longer than 

 the calyx-tube, elliptical-oblong, compressed, acuminated at the 

 apex into a sharp beak, smooth. Seeds "ovoid, compressed, hilum 

 equalling half the circumference of the seed." — (Gr. & Godr.) 



In rocky woods, thickets, and pastures in hilly districts. Pare. 

 In Somerset, Shropshire, AYales, Durham, the Lake district, the 

 South of Scotland, Lanarkshire, and the Western Islands. I have 

 seen it growing only on Braid Hills, near Edinburgh. 



England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Summer. 



Pootstock branched, many-headed, but without long creeping 

 stolons as in the allied Continental species Vicia cassubica. Stem 

 stout, curved near the base, then erect, 8 inches to 2 feet high, with 

 the lowest leaves abortive, reduced to 2 or 3 acute leaflets, combined 

 together with large somewhat scarious stipules. Leaves rather 

 close together, with the leaflets f to 1} inch long, variable in 

 breadth, strongly veined beneath. Peduncles 2 to 4 inches long, 

 bare of flowers for half to three-fourths of their length. Elowers 

 much crowded, f inch long, whitish tinged with bluish-purple at 

 the tip. Calyx-tube much bulged on the upper side ; the uppermost 

 pair of teeth deltoid, one-third the length of the tube, the inter- 

 mediate ones deltoid-triangular, about half the length of the tube, 

 the lowest triangular and about two-thirds the length of the tube. 

 Standard not excised beyond the middle, emarginate at the apex, 

 where it is marked with purple veins, a little longer than the 

 ■wings, which have remote pur2)le veins, these again exceeding the 

 keel, which is blotched with bluish-purple at the apex. Style 

 with short hairs beneath the stigma all round. The I'ipe pods or 

 seeds I have not seen ; the immature pods are about 1 inch long, 

 tapering slightly both towards the base and the apex, the latter 

 terminates in a triangular acute beak, and is tipped by the remains 

 of the style, which rises upwards at an obtuse angle. Plant pale 

 bright-green, sparingly pubescent. 



Wuod Bitter Fetch. 



French, Vesce Orube. German, ScJUingenlcse £nix. 



