5 6 Pulse ( Leguminbsce). [No. 7 



A perennial twining and climbing vine, smooth, her- 

 baceous. It bears edible tubers, of an oval shape. They 

 are somewhat potato-like, and are said to be very nu- 

 tritious. The stem is round and two to four feet in 

 length. 



(8) Genus Vi'cia, Tourn. (Vetch, Tare.) 



Flowers, axillary. Standard, notched. Wings, adhering 

 to the keel. Calyx, tubular, five-cleft or five-toothed, 

 the two upper lobes shortest. Stamens, in two sets 

 (nine more or less united at the base, and one 

 distinct). Style, thread-like (not flattened as in 

 Lathyrus) bent at right angles to the seed-case, 

 bearded by a tuft or ring of hairs at the apex. 



Leaves, compound, alternate. Leaflets, in four to twelve 

 pairs, edges entire. Tendrils, at the ends of the 

 leaves — a continuation of the common leaf-stem. 

 Stipules, half arrow-shaped at their base. 



Pod, flat oblong. Seeds, two to several (or many in V. 

 Americana), globular. A legume. 



Herbaceous vines, more or less climbing by help of the 

 tendrils. 



Fig. 27.— Common Vetch. Tare. \V- saflva, £.] 



Flowers, violet-purple, nearly stemless, in clusters of one 

 or two blossoms from the axils of the leaves. Corolla, 

 half an inch long. Cluster-stems, shorter than the 

 leaves. June. 



Leaflets, five to seven pairs, two thirds inch to one inch 

 in length, from reverse egg-shape to very narrow. 

 Apex, notched and bristle-tipped. 



Fod, slim, erect, smooth, one to two inches in length. 

 Seeds, several. A legume. 



