Lathyrus Aphaca. Yellow Vetchling. 



LATHYRUS Lin. Gen. PL Diadelphia Decandria. 



Stylus planus, fupra villofus, fuperne latior. Cal. laciniae fuperiores 

 2 breviores. 



Raii Syn. Gen. 23. Herb.e flore papilionaceo seu leguming-s^e. 



LATHYRUS Aphaca pedunculis unifloris, cirrhis aphyllis, ftipulis fagittato-cordatis* Lin. Syfi, 

 Vegetal?, p. 662. Sp. PL 1029. 



LATHYRUS aphyllos ftipulis fagittatis latiflimis. Holler hijl. n. 442* 



LATHYRUS Aphaca. Scopoli FL Cam. n. 887. 



VICIA lutea foliis convolvuli minoris. Bauh. Pin. 345. 



APHACA Parkin/. 1067. Ger. emac. 1250. Raii Syn. ed.g.p. 320. Hudfon FL Angl. ed. 2. p. 315* 



RADIX annua, fibrofa. 



CAULIS pedalis, fefquipedalis, et ultra, debilis, ope 

 cirrhorum fcandens, tetragonus, kevis. 



FOLIA nulla. 



STIPUL^E bins, magnae, fagittato-cordatse, obtufae, 



utrinque prope bafm denticulo notatae, 



glaucae, fubtus nervofae. 



CIRRHUS fimplex, patens. 



FLORES lutei, parvi, folitarii, pedunculati, axil- 

 lares. 



PEDUNCULI foliis longiores, tetragoni, uniflori, 

 bra6laea minima prope florem inftructi. 



CALYX: Perianthium monophyllum, quinque 

 partitum, laciniis lanceolatis, fubaequalibus, 

 nervofis, Iongitudine fere corollas, Jzg. 1. 



COROLLA papilionacea, Vexillum luteum, re- 

 flexum, intus lineis caeruleis ftriatum, jig. 2. 

 Alm luteae, fubrotundae, Iongitudine carinas, 

 hamis duobus inaequalibus, pallidioribus, 

 Jig. 3. Carina pallide fulphurea, poftice 

 fifTa, fig. 4. 



STAMINA : Filamenta decern, fimplex, et novem 

 fidum, affurgentia, albida, Anthers fub- 

 rotundae, luteae, Jig. 5. 



PISTILLUM Germen oblongum, comprefTum, vi- 

 ride, glabrum ; Stylus furfum erectus, 

 pallidior, fuperne latior, obtufus ; Stigma 

 a medietate ftyli antice villofus, Jig. 6. 



PERICARPIUM: Legumen unciale, latiufculum, 



compreffum. 

 SEMINA feptem o&ave, fubrotunda, nitida. 



ROOT annual,, and fibrous. 



STALK a foot, a foot and a half or more in height, 

 weak, climbing by means of its tendrils, 

 four-cornered, and fmooth. 



LEAVES none. _ 



STIPUL^E growing in pairs, large, betwixt arrow 

 and heart-fnaped, obtufe, on each fide near 

 the bafe furnifhed with a tooth, glaucous* 

 and ribbed on the underfide. 



TENDRIL fimple and fpreading. 



FLOWERS yellow, fmall, folitary, growing on 

 footftalks from the alae of the leaves. 



FLOWER-STALKS longer than the leaves, four- 

 cornered, one-flowered, furnifhed near the 

 flower with a minute bractaea or floral leaf. 



CALYX: a Perianthium of one leaf, deeply di- 

 vided into five fegments, which are lanceo- 

 late, nearly equal, ribbed, and almoft the 

 length of the corolla, Jig. 1. 



COROLLA papilionaceous, Standard yellow, re- 

 flexed, ftriped on the infide with blue lines, 

 Jig. 2. Wings yellow, nearly round, the 

 length of the keel, claws two, unequal, 

 paler, Jig. 3. Keel of a pale fulphur colour* 

 cloven behind,^. 4. 



STAMINA: ten Filaments, one fingle, nine con- 

 nected, rifing upwards, whitifh ; Anthers 

 roundifh and yellow, Jig. g.. ( 



PISTILLUM Germen oblong, flat, green, and 

 fmooth, Style rifing upwards, upright, 

 paler, dilated above, obtufe ; Stigma which 

 rifes from the middle of the ftyle villous on 

 its fore part, Jig. 6. 



SEED-VESSEL : a Pod about an inch in lengthy 

 broadiih, and flattened. 



SEEDS feven or eight, roundifh, and fhining. 



We have here a very unufual phenomenon in the vegetable ceconomy, a plant whofe ftipulae fupply the 

 place of leaves, at leaft when the plant becomes of a certain age ; for, by a kind of accidental examination, 

 we lately difcovered that this fpecies of Lathyrus, foon after it comes up from feed, is ufually furnifhed with 

 one or more pair of leaves, fimilar to the other plants of this family, but which, as the plant advances, 

 totally difappear ; thefe are reprefented at jig. 7. 



A fomewhat fimilar appearance we noticed laft fummer at Mr. Malcolm's, Kennington, in a rare fpecies 

 of Mimoja, called verticillata, all the leaves of the young plants were pinnated, and all thofe of the old plants 

 whorled. 



Linnaeus, in his Species Plant, takes fome notice of the Aphaca's producing leaves; his words are, Cirrhus 

 inter dum aliquis gerit Joliola conjugata, 2, lanceolata, reliquis Lathyris Jimillima at hoc rariffime. 



According to our obfervation, the leaves grew on footftalks in the ufual way, without any, or a very friort 

 tendril, and they were obfervable on every feedling ; hence we fufpeft them to be common to this plant 

 when young ; and rare, merely from being overlooked. 



This fpecies is an annual which grows fpontaneoufly in our corn fields, but is not common in the neigh- 

 bourhood of London ; we have obferved it molt frequently about Tottenham and Enfield, 



It flowers in June and July. 



No particular ufes or noxious qualities are afcribed to it, 



