PEA FAMILY 



flat, breaking up into 3 — 6 1-seeded horseshoe-shaped joints. 

 (Name from the Greek hippos, a horse, krepis, a shoe.) 



1. H. combsa (Tufted Horseshoe-vetch). — The only British 

 species, a nearly prostrate plant, with long, much-branched stems, 

 woody at the base; leaflets 7 — 17; and umbellate heads of 6 — 

 10 yellow flowers. It might be 

 mistaken for Ldtus corniculdtus ; 

 but the pinnate leaves and pods 

 resembling a series of horse-shoes, 

 united by their extremities, serve 

 to distinguish it. — Chalky banks 

 in the south of England. — Fl. 

 May — August. Perennial. 



17. Onobrychis (Sainfoin). — 

 Herbs ; leaves imparipinnate ; 

 stipules membranous ; flowers in 

 axillary spikes or racemes ; 

 stamens diadelphous ; pod com- 

 pressed, indehiscent, straight, 1- 

 seeded. (Name from the Greek 

 onos, an ass, brucho, I bray.) 



1. O. vicicefblia (Common Sain- 

 foin, Cock's-head). — The only 

 British species, a handsome plant ; 

 pubescent with ad pressed hairs ; 

 stems 1 — 2 feet long, ascending 

 stout; leaflets 17 — 25, oblong 

 apiculate ; flowers in ovoid, com- 

 pact racemes, rosy-red, with darker 

 veins ; pod semicircular, toothed 

 along its lower (curved) margin. — 

 Chalky and limestone hills, per- 

 haps indigenous in the south-east 

 of England ; but often cultivated 

 as fodder. — Fl. June — August. 

 Perennial. 



18. VfciA (Vetch). — Herbs, generally climbing by the tendrils 

 which terminate their paripinnate leaves ; leaflets generally many ; 

 flowers in axillary racemes ; stamens diadelphous ; style thread- 

 like, with a small ring of down near the extremity, or a tuft on 

 the under side ; pod compressed, 2-valved. (Name, the classical 

 Latin name, originally derived, according to Theis, from Keltic 

 gwig ; German Wicken, Greek bikion, French vesce.) 



K2 



on6brychis vici^f6lia 

 {Common Sainfoin). 



