Latuyrus NissoLIA.  CniMsoN LATHYRUS, or — 
GnAss VETCH. | 
LATHYRUS. Lm" Gén. PL DiaAbEL?PHIA DECANDRIA. 
Stylus planus, fupra villofus, fuperne latior. Cz/. laciniz fuperiores 
duze breviores. » 
Rain Sym.Gen.99. HeRB& FLORE PAPILIONACEO SEU LEGUMINOS E. 
LATHYRUS Nifolia pedunculis unifloris, foliis fimplicibus, ftipulis fubulatis. Lina. Sp. Ph v. 2. ed. 3. 
f. 1029. Syff. Vegetab. ed. 14. Murr. p. 662: j 
LATHYRUS pedunculis unifloris, folis gramineis, ftipulis minimis: Ha//, Hiff. z. 441. 
LATHYRUS fylveftris minor. Bauh. Pin. 944. | 
CATANANCHE leguminofa quorundam. 7. B. II. 309. 
VICIA folio gramineo filiqua porreGiffima. Mer. 5. 
LATHYRUS anguftifolius ere&us, folio fingulari, fine capreolis Niffoli. Magn: Horz. 112. t. 112. 
NISSOLIA parva flore purpureo. Bux. cent. 9. p. 84. t. 45. f. 1. 
ERVUM fylveftre. Dodon. Pempt. p. 529. Ger..emac. Crimfon graffe Fetch. p: 1249. 
ERVUM fylveftre five Catananche. Wild graffe leafed Orobus. Park. Th. p. 1079. 
RADIX annua, fibrofa. 6 ROOT annual and fibrous. 
CAULIS pedalis, et ultra, fuberectus, fimplex, raro 9 STALK a foot or more in height, nearly upright, un- 
ramofus, angulatus, glaberrimus. | Q . branched for the moft part, angular, very 
; fmooth., 
LEAVES alternate, betwixt upright and fpreading, 
feflile, fomewhat decurrent, fimple, grafly, 
FOLIA alterna, erecto patula, feffilia, fubdecurrentia,: 
. fimplicia, graminea, lanceolata, linearia, mul- 
tinervia, inferne glaberrima, fuperne glauce- à betwixt lanceolate and linear, many-ribbed, 
Ícenti-viridia, marginibus fzpe erofis. Q' below perfectly fmooth, above of a fome- 
Q what glaucous green colour, the edges often 
X y: Q bitten. 
STIPUL bine, exilifime, fubulate. 9 STIPULA two, extremely fmall, and awl-fhaped. 
FLORES vivide purpurei, in pedunculis longis, fub- 6 FLOWERS of a brilliant purple colour, fitting fingly 
folitaril, cernui. on long footftalks, drooping. 
: C 
PEDUNCULI axillares, folitarii, uniflori, rariffime i PEDUNCLES axillary, folitary, one-flowered, very 
biflori, ereCu, fubangulati, leves, fuperne Q rarely two-flowered, upright, fomewhat an- 
prope florem braétea fubulata inftruéta, inter à gular, fmooth, on the upper part near the 
florem et bracteam teretior evadit et pu- 6 flower furnifhed with an awl-fhaped bractea, 
befcit. 6 betwixt the flower and the bra&ea it becomes 
6 rounder and flightly downy. 
CALYX: PrzniawTHIUM monophyllum tubulatum, 6 CALYX: a Perranruivum of one leaf, tubular, five- 
quinquefidum, quinquenerve, laciniis lanceo- 0 rbbed, mouth divided into five fegments, 
laus acutis, inferiore longiore, ad lentem 9 which are lanceolate, fharp-pointed,the lower- 
hirfutulis. 
. mott longeft, flightly hirlute if magnified. * 
COROLLA papilionacea, vivide purpurea; Vexz//um ? COROLLA papilionaceous, bright purple or crimfon; ' 
antice parum reflexum, dorfo compreffum ; 6 the Standard{omewhat reflexed, and comprefs'd 
Ale fubovate, vexillo breviores, concolores; 6 on the back; Wings fomewhat ovate, fhorter 
Carina lemiorbiculata, tumida, dilute rubens. Q than the flandard, of the fame colour; Kee/ 
| Q femiorbiculate, tumid, of a faint-red colour. 
STAMINA: Firamenta diadelpha, fimplex et no- 9 
vemfidum, aflurgentia; ANTHER«# fuübro- Q 
tunde, jig. 1, 2. 
Sig. 
PISTILLUM : Germen compreffum, oblongum, h- 5 PISTILLUM 
STAMINA: FitLAMENTS-in two ‘bodies, one and 
nine, rifing upward; ANTHER# roundifh, 
1 
es 
: Germen flattened, oblong, linear; 
neare; STvLUs planus; Sricma antice vil- Q SrvLE flat; Sricma villous on the fore 
lofum, fiz. 9. Q part, fg. 3. 
PERICARPIUM: Legumen lineare, bipollicare, pen- © SEED-VESSEL : a linear Pod, about two inches long, 
dulum. Q and pendulous, ° 
It is in paftures and among the grafly herbage on the confines of woods and hedges that this fpecies. of 
Lathyrus, diftinguifhed for its grafs-like foliage and bright crimfon flowers, is chiefly found; in fuch fituations « 
it is not very unfrequent in the neighbourhood of London: being an annual, its place of growth is liable to 
great variation, and it is with great difficulty found, unlefs when 1n flower, which it ufually 1s about the latter 
end of June;—in certain parts of the Ifle of. Shepey, we have obferved this plant fironger and in greater 
abundance than elfewhere. 
It is fometimes found with white bloffoms; Dopow.us defcribes his flowers as yellowifh, and his figure, 
which is not equal to moft of his others, reprefents two bloffoms on a peduncle. 
In its wild ftate it is more beautiful than when cultivated, its blofloms being much more brilliant; they 
appear alfo to more advantage among the wild grafly herbage, where they have few or no formidable rivals : 
the period of its flowering is of very fhort duration, and is a fufficient objection to its being cultivated for 
ornament. 
It is fcarcely poffible to gather a wild fpecimen of this plant, which has not fome of its leaves bitten on the 
edges; we have found this erofion to be occafionéd by a fmall oblong Curculio, of a pale-brown colour, very 
defiru@tive on certain lands, in the fpring of the year, to the foliage of /eguminous plants in general; in fome 
fprings, we have feen this infe& check the growth and greatly injure fo Jarge a plant as the common pea of the 
kitchen garden, and we have little doubt -but whole Clover crops are deftroyed by it juft as they come into 
leaf, and the Seedfman, perhaps, blamed for the badnefs of his feed ;— we are not acquainted with the hiflory 
of this infe&, but recommend it to the ferious attention of the agriculturift. 
