Onobrychis. | XXV. PAPILIONACEE. 121 
1, O. pina Lam. (fig. 276.) Common Sainfoin.—Stock perennial, 
but of few years’ duration, with several ascending stems, 1 to 14 or rarely 
2 feet long. Stipules brown, thin, and finely pointed. Leaflets numerous, 
oblong, slightly downy underneath, glabrous above. Peduncles longer than 
the leaves, bearing in their upper half a spike of pale pink flowers, at first 
closely packed, but lengthening out as the flowering advances. Calyx- 
teeth long and slender. Wings of the corolla shorter than the keel and 
standard. Pod twice as long as the calyx, the upper edge nearly straight, 
the lower semicircular, bordered with short teeth, sometimes prickly, the 
flat surface marked with raised veins. 
In limestone districts, in central and southern Europe, and temperate 
Asia; much cultivated for forage, and occasionally naturalized further 
northward. In Britain, believed to be truly indigenous in southern and 
eastern England, but not recorded from Ireland. 7. early summer. 
XVI. VICIA. VETCH. 
Herbs, with weak stems, often slightly climbing, half-sagittate stipules, 
and pinnate leaves; the leaflets usually numerous: the common leafstalk 
ending in a simple or branched tendril, or at least in a small point. Flowers 
in the axils of the leaves, solitary, clustered, or in pedunculate racemes, 
blue, purplish, white, or pale yellow. Petals usually rather narrow. Upper 
stamen quite free, or connected with the others, at least in the middle. 
Style cylindrical or slightly flattened, with a tuft of hairs below the stigma 
on the outer side, or shortly downy all round under the stigma, or rarely 
quite glabrous. Pod more or less flattened, opening in two valves, with 
several, or rarely only 2 seeds, either globular or slightly flattened. 
A numerous genus, widely spread over nearly the whole globe, but most 
abundant in temperate regions; in the tropics almost confined to mountain 
districts, and unknown in Australia. The tendrils distinguish it from all 
our Leguminous plants, except the following genus, Lathyrus, from which 
it is absolutely separated chiefly by the style; but also in all our species, 
except V. btthynica, the more numerous and smaller leaflets, and the general 
shape of the flowers, give it a peculiar aspect easily recognized. The 
_ staminal tube is usually much more oblique at the top than in Lathyrus. 
The common Bean is a species of Vicia, by some supposed to be a variety 
produced by cultivation of the south-European V. narbonensis. 
Leaflets above an inch long, 1 or 2 pairs to each leaf . : . 10. V. bithynica. 
Leaflets more than 2 pairs to each leaf, usually small. 
Peduncles elongated (at least half as long as the leaf’) 
Flowers few and small, on slender peduncles. Pod scarcely 
6 lines long. 
Plant glabrous or nearly so. Pod with 4to6 seeds . . 2. V. tetrasperma. 
Plant hairy. Pod with2seeds . . iL. V. hirsuta. 
Flowers at least 6 lines long. Pod an inch or more. 
Leafstalks ending in a short point. Racemes short and close. 
Plant quite glabrous, drying black. Stipules a entire Lathyrus niger. 
Plant slightly hairy. Stipules usually toothed. . 5. V. orobus. 
Leafstalks ending ina tendril. Racemes long. 
Flowers white, with purplish veins. Stipules deeply 
divided at the base . : ‘ : ; ‘ . 4 V. sylvatica. 
Flowers of a rich purple plue. Stipules mostly entire . 3. V. Cracca. 
Peduncles not longer{than the calyx, or flowers quite sessile. 
Flowers pale yellow. Podhairy . : : . 4. V. lutea. 
Flowers purple, blue, or red. Pod elabrous, 
