DIADELPHIA— DECANDRIA. Oiobus. 271 



On the pebbly beach, between Aldburgh and Orford, Suffolk, 

 abundantly ; also near Hastings, Sussex. Ray. On the west 

 side of Denge-ness, near Lyd, in Kent. Cambden. Lincoln- 

 shire. With. On the sharp ridge running from Portland island 

 to Bridport. Mr. Stuckhouse. 



Perennial. July. 



Roots creeping widely, much branched, running to the depth of 

 raanyfeet among the loose stones. Her6 perfectly smooth. Stems 

 about a span long, procumbent, simple, quadrangular, slightly 

 compressed, zigzag, leafy, many-flowered, glaucous, often red- 

 dish. Leaves alternate, sessile, alternately and abruptly pin- 



. nate, the flattish common stalk of each ending in a branched 

 tendril; leaflets 7 or 8, elliptical, with a small point, entire, 

 veiny, of a dark rather glaucous green. Stipulas equal, triangu- 

 lar arrow-shaped, reflexed, toothed towards the base, rather 

 smaller than the leaflets. Clusters axillary, solitary, stalked, 

 many-flowered, the length of the leaves. Fl. purple, hand- 

 somely variegated and veined with crimson ; the prominences 

 in front of the standard white ; wings and keel pale blue. Le- 

 gume about half the size of the cultivated Pea, tipped with the 

 permanent inflexed style. Seeds 6 or 8. 



The character and habit of this species approach the genus Lathy- 

 rus, betwixt which and Pisum it is, in a manner, intermediate ; 

 but the style is not flattened, and dilated upward, like a true 

 Lathyrus. The young seeds formerly proved a resource in a 

 time of great scarcity, as Caius and other writers report. At 

 present, as Dr. Hooker observes, sheep devour the plant before 

 it can well blossom. 



358. OROBUS. Bitter-vetch. 



Lin7i.Gen.374. Juss.360. Fl.Br.76\. Tourn.t.2l4. Lam. 

 t.633. Gcertn.t. 15\. 



Cal. cup-shaped, unequal ; the margin in 5 acute segments ; 

 2 uppermost shortest and most distant ; lower one long- 

 est. Cm: of 5 petals ; standard inversely heart-shaped, 

 reflexed at the sides, rather longer than the rest ; wings 

 obovate, ascending, converging ; keel rounded, pointed, 

 rather tumid, of 2 combined petals, with separate claws. 

 Filam. 10 ; 9 united into a compressed tube, open at the 

 upper edge ; the tenth capillary, quite distinct. Antli. 

 small, roundish. Germ, oblong, compressed. Style as- 

 cending, straight, cylindrical, channelled above. Stigma 

 longitudinal, linear, downy, running along the inner, or 

 upper, side of the upper half of the style. Legume ob- 

 long, or linear, tumid, or somewhat cylindrical, with a 



