DIADELPHIA— DECANDRIA. Vicia. 279 



Herb very smooth, somewhat glaucous, 3 or 4 feet high. Stem 

 winged, but little branched. Tendrils usually in 2 or 3 divi- 

 sions, with 2 or 3 pair of elliptic-lanceolate leaflets, each having 

 a midrib, and several parallel lateral nerves, Stipvlaslanceolate, 

 pointed, varying in width as well as the leaflets. Fl. from 3 to 

 6, in upright stalked clusters, not so large as either of the two 

 last, but elegantly variegated with blue and purple tints. Le- 

 gume smooth. 



360. VICIA. Vetch. 



Linn. Gen. 376. Juss. 360. Fl.Br.768. Tourn.t.22\. Lam. 

 t.634. Gcertn.t. 15\. 



Cal. tubular, unequal, cut, about half way down, into 5 

 acute segments, all of equal breadth ; the 2 uppermost 

 shortest. Cor. of 5 petals ; standard largest, oval, as- 

 cending, with a broad claw, the sides deflexed, the back 

 somewhat keeled; wings elliptic-oblong, converging, 

 shorter than the standard, with narrower claws ; keel 

 rounded, compressed, of 2 combined petals, with sepa- 

 rate claws. Filam. 10 ; 9 united into a compressed tube, 

 open at the upper edge ; the tenth capillary, quite dis- 

 tinct, closing the fissure. Anth. small, roundish. Germ. 

 linear-oblong, compressed. Style short, ascending at a 

 right angle, cylindrical. Stigma obtuse, with a transverse 

 tuft of hairs in front, below the summit. Legume long, 

 more or less compressed, pointed, of 1 cell, and 2 co- 

 riaceous, rather rigid valves. Seeds several, roundish or 

 angular. 



Herbaceous, annual or perennial. Stems climbing, by the 

 tendrils which terminate \he footstalks. Leaflets for the 

 most part very numerous, smaller than in Lathyrus, lan- 

 ceolate, often abrupt. Stipidas half-arrow-shaped, tooth- 

 . ed. Fl. axillary ; either in stalked clusters ; or almost 

 sessile, solitary or in pairs ; crimson, purplish, yellow, or 

 whitish. Herbage often useful for fodder. 



* Stalks elongated, many-floixered. 



1. V. sylvatica. Wood Vetch. 



Stalks many-flowered. Leaflets elliptical. Stipulas crescent- 

 shaped, deeply toothed. 



V. sylvatica. Linn. Sp. PL 1035. WiUd. v. 3. 1095. FL Br. 768. 



EngL BuLv.2.t.79. Hook. ScoL2\4. FLDan.L277. 

 V. 1). 426. HalL Hist. v. J . 185, /.12. f. 2. 



