Orobus tuberosus. Wood Pea. 



OROBUS LinnceiGen.PL Diadelphia Decandria. 



Rail Synop. Gen. 23. Herb^ flore papilionaceo, seu legumxnosje. 



OROBUS tuberofus foliis pinnatis, lanceolatis ; ftipulis femifagittatis integerrimis, caule fimplici. Lm. Syft. 



Vegetab. p. 550. FL Suecic. n. 642. 



OROBUS caule firnplici ; foliis fenis ellipticis; radice tuberofa. Haller. hift. ».417. 



ASTRAGALUS fy lvaticus, foliis oblongis glabris. Bauhin.pin. 351. Gerard, emac. 12 ^7. 



LATHYRUS fylveftris lignofior. Parkin/on, 107 2. Rail Synop'. p. 324. Wood-Peafe, or Heath-Peafe. Hud- 

 /on, FL Angl. p. 274. Scopoli. FL Cam. n. 883. 



RADIX perennis, tuberofa. % ROOT perennial and tuberous. 



+ 



CAUL1S fimplex, ere&us, pedalis, alatus, fubtortuofus. % STALK iimple, upright, about a foot high, winged and 



I fomewhat twitted. 



+ 



% 

 FOLIA pinnata, Cirrho breyi re&o terminata, Pin- % LEAVES pinnated, terminated by a ihort ftraitCiRRHus 



narum paria duo, tria, elliptica, mucronata, | confining of two or three pair of Pinnae which 



glabra fubtus casrulefcentia. ^ are elliptical, and end in a fmall fharp point, 



% fmooth and underneath blueiih. 



STIPULiE femifagittatse, faepe integrae, faepius vero ad | STIPULE femifagittate, frequently entire but more 

 balin hamatae, dente unico aut pluribus. often jagged at bottom, with one er feveral 



I teeth. 



RAMI florigeri, 1, 2, 3, aut plures ex foliorum alis, pri- | BRANCHES which fuitain the flowers 1, 2, 3, or 

 mum nutantes, Flores pulchelli, ex rubro | more, fpringing from the bofom of the leaves, 



purpurei, demum caerulefcentes, % at firft drooping the Flowers beautiful, of a 



I reddifh purple colour, becoming blue as they 



I go off. 



CALYX Perianthium monophyllum, tubulatum v | CALYX : a Perianthium of one leaf, tubular, pur- 



purpureum, baft obtufum ; ore quinquedentato, $ pie, blunt at bottom, the mouth quinquedentate, 



denticulis tribus inferioribus acutioribus, duobus | the three lowermoft teeth fharpeft, the two 



fuperioribus breviorihus, obtufe divifis, fubaf- | uppermoft fhorteft, bluntly divided, and turned 



furgentibus, Jig. 1. ■ f a little upwards, jfir 1. 



* 



COROLLA Papilionacea: Vexillum obcordatum, re- J COROLLA Papilionaceous: theVExiLLUM heart-fhaped, 



ftexum,j%*. 2. Alje conniventes, Carina con- | turning back, jig. 2. the Wings connivent 



nexae, Unguis linearis, fig. 5. Lamina obtufa. | and connected with the Carina, the Claw linear, 



Carina, fig. 7, acuminata, afliirgens, margi- % fig. 5. the Lamina obtufe, j%\ 6. the Carina 



nibus cavis ad Alas recipiendas, ^. 9. | or Keel acuminate, rifing upward, the edges 



I hollow for the reception of the Alas or Wings, 



I fig- 9- 



STAMINA: Filamenta diadelphia (fimplexet novem $ STAMINA: ten Filaments, nine united into one 

 fidum) adfcendentia, fig. n, 17. Anthers | body below, and one feparate at toy, fig, n, 



flavae, fig. 12. ad bairn filamenti fimplicis et | 17. rifing upward, An t her je yellow, fig. 12. 



fhperioris, foramina duo obfervantur, fig. 16. $ at the bafe of the fimple and uppermost filament 



I two fmall holes are confpicuous, fig. 16. 



PISTILLUM: Germen cylindraceum, comprefTum, | 



Stylus nliformis, eredus, lateri interiori prope $ PISTILLUM: Germen cylindrical, and flattifli, Style 

 apieem viilofus, fig. 13. | thread-fhaped, interiorly near the tip villous, 



PERICARPIUM Legumen teres, longum, primum ru- ? 



brum, demum nigrum, fig. 14. I SEED-VESSEL, a Legumen round, and long, firlt red, 



I when ripe black, fig. 1 4. 



SEMINA plura, fubrotunda, e luteo-fufca, fig. 1 5. | SEEDS feveral, roundifh, of a yellowifh brown colour, 



M- '5- 



This elegant fpecies of Orobus grows very -plentifully in all our Woods about Town ; it feems to delight in a 

 ftrong clayey foil. It produces its blofloms in May and June and the feed is ripe in July. The root is large and 

 tuberous, deeply fituated in the Earth and taken up with difficulty ; it is not made any particular ufe of with us, 

 but is considerably efteemed in fome parts of Great Britain : 



My very worthy and ingenious Friend the Rev. Mr. Lightfoot, of Uxbridge, has favoured me with the following 

 account of its ufes, which he obferved in his late tour through Scotland : 



" The Orobus tuberofus is very common in Scotland, both in the "Lowlands, Highlands, and the Hebrides. It is called 

 m the Erfe Language Cor-meille. The Highlanders dig up the Roots and dry them in their pockets, and chew 

 them like Tobacco or Liquorice Root, to relifh their Liquor, and to repel Hunger and Thirff. In Breadalbane 

 and Rofs-Jhire they fometimes fteep them in Water, and make an agreeable fermented Liquor with them, which 

 they eiteem to be good for Diforders of the Thorax. It has a fweetiih Tafte fomewhat like Liquorice Roots. Fond 

 as the Highlanders were of this Root they frequently ufed to change it with me for fome Pig-tail Tobacco, their 

 favourite Indulgence." 



