302 BRECK’S NEW BOOK OF FLOWERS. 
OROBUS.—Brtrer VeEtTcH. 
[From the Greek, to excite, and an ox; that is lo say, a food nourishing for 
cattle.) 
Orobus vérnus.— Spring Bitter Vetch.— Very early 
flowering, flowers large, handsome, singular in the differ- 
ent shades of colors, the upper part of the large petal is 
purple with blood-red veins, the wings are blue, the keel 
blue, tinged with green, the color changes as the flower 
advances, and becomes finally altogether blue_ 
@. niger, is a handsome border-plant, with very dark- 
purple flowers, in June, July and August; two feet high; 
stem’ very much branched; leaves in six pairs; racemes 
one-sided, many-flowered. 
0. atropurptreus, has fine purple flowers, in a dense 
one-sided, many-flowered raceme. 0. formosus is also 
beautiful, a native of Mount Caucasus; flowers large, 
fine purple. O. Fischeri is another handsome purple spe- 
cies. O. tuberosus, a native of England, is also of a fine 
species, remarkable for its tubecous roots, which the Scotch 
Highlanders chew when dried to give a good flavor to 
their whiskey; they also assert that by the use of them 
they are enabled to bear hunger and thirst for a longer 
time without suffering. In Holland and Flanders they 
are dried, roasted, and served at table like chestnuts. In 
England the plant is called the Wood Pea or Heath Pea. 
O. luteus is considered one of the handsomest of the pa- 
pilionaceous family. Several other species are well deserv- 
ing notice, they are easily propagated by dividing at the 
root or by seed. A sandy soil suits them best. 
