§88 DIADELPHIA— DECANDRIA. Ervum. 



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

 taper-pointed segments, shorter than the corolla ; the 

 lowermost rather the longest. Cor. of 5 petals ; standard 

 largest, obovate, slightly reflexed ; wings half as long, 

 obtuse ; keel nearly equal to the wings, rounded, with an 

 acute point, of 2 combined petals, with separate claws. 

 Filam. 1 ; 9 united into a compressed tube, open at the 

 upper edge ; the tenth capillary, distinct, closing the fis- 

 sure. Anth. small, roundish. Germ, oblong, compressed. 

 Stt/le cylindrical, half as long, ascending at a right angle. 

 Stigma terminal, capitate, all over hair}'. Legume oblong, 

 compressed, bhintish, tumid only from the projection of 

 the seeds, which are from 2 to 4, roundish, a little flat- 

 tened. » 



Annual slender herbs, climbing by means of the tendrils of 

 their numerously-pinnate narrow leaves. Clusters stalked, 

 axillary, each of a very few small, palej^oro^rs. Legumes 

 small, pendulous. Our species, nearly all that really be- 

 long to the genus, are useless, and but too prolific, weeds. 



The Linnsean generic description is taken from E. Le?is, 

 which is truly a Ciccr. 



1. ^. tetraspermum. Smooth Tare. 



Flowers mostly in pairs. Legume smooth, with four seeds. 

 Leaflets oblong, bluntish. 



E. tetraspermum. Linn. Sp. PL 1039. fVilld. v. 3. 11 12. Fl. 



Br. 775. Ensl. Bot. v. 17. t. 1223. Curt. Loral, fasc. 1. t. .5.5. 



Hook. Scot. 216. Fl. Dan. t. 95. 

 Vicia n. 423. Hall. Hist.r. I. 184. 

 V. minor segetum, cuin siliquis paucis glabri.i. Moris, v. 2. 64. 



sect. "2. t. 4. f. 16. 

 V. segetum, singularibus siliquis glabris. Bauh. Pin. 345. 

 Vicise, sive Craccas minimae, species cum siliquis glabris. Bauh. 



Hist. V. 2. 3] 5. f. 

 Ciacca minor, siliquis singularibus, flosculis caerulescentibus. Paii 



Sijn. 322. 

 C. minor, siliquis gemellis. Riv. Tetrap. trr. I. 53./. 1. 



In corn fields, liedges and thickets, particularly such as are rather 

 moist. 



Annual. .June., July. 



Root small and tapering. Herb besprinkled with fine soft hairs, 

 especially thejiower-stalks and calyx. Stem weak, quadrangu- 

 lar, branched from the bottom, leafy, climbing to the height of 

 2 or 3 feet. Leaflets 4 pair or more, linear-oblong, more or 

 less blunt, with a minute point. Stipiilas half-arrow-shaped, 



