Lathyeds.] leg UMINOS^. 259 



, those of the upper leaves f-1 in. long, ligulate, of lower shorter and 

 hroader. Floiuers solitary or geminate. Calyx f in., teeth lanceolate* 

 subulate. Corolla reddish-blue, twice the calyx. Style bearded below 

 the stigma on lower side. Pod H-2 in., glabrescent, 8-10-seeded. 



This plant is found within the area as a weed of cultivation, also in tbe 

 Punjab and Bengal, ascending to 7,000 ft. on the W. Himalaya. It is 

 wild throughout the greater part d Europe, and was no doubt iutro- 

 duced into India from that direction. 



Vae. angustifolia, Linn, (sp.) ; Royle III. 200: F. E. I. l.c- ; Watt E. D.— 

 Smaller and more diffuse. Leaflets shorter, those of the lower leaves 

 deeply emarginate. Flowers Sbuipods smaller. Abundant as a weed 

 in cultivated ground throughout Northern India. It is found al?o in 

 Europe and N. Africa. It is mentioned by Royle as being cultivated 

 in N. W. India and that the seeds, called ' khandi, ' are eaten by the 

 natives. 



Y. l^aba, Linn. ; Roxb. Fl Ind. Hi, 823 ; Royle III. 2^0 ; Field Sf Gard. 

 Crops Hi, 4 ; Watt E-^D. Faba vulgaris, Mcencli. ; DC. L'Orig. PI. Cult. 

 *255. — Vern. Bakla. (Grarden or Broad bean). 



"This bean, according to DeCandolle, occupied as a wild plant two distinct 

 areas, one being to the south of the Caspian, and the other in N. Africa. 

 It was cultivated in Europe in prehistoric times, and afterwards spread 

 to China and Japan Many authors are of opinion that it may origi- 

 nally have been derived from V. narhonensis, Linn., a native of S. E. 

 Etirope and N. Africa, and botanically its nearest ally. 



In addition to the ordinary kind imported from Eur.'pe, there exists in 

 India a very distinct ac limatized variety, called Seo-chana. This is 

 grown in native gardens in the plains of N. India, also near villages on 

 the W . Himalaya, from Kashmir to Knma an, and sometimes up to con- 

 siderable elevations, where, owing to the short summer, the leaves only 

 are available as food and are used as a vegetable. This variety differs 

 from the ordinary garden bean by its smaller leaflets and pods : the 

 seeds also are much smaller, and quite round and black, like a large 

 dark-coL ured pea. It was most probably introduced into N. India 

 from China. Roxburgh mentions it as being cultivated in Nepal. 



89. LATHYRUS, Linn. ; El. Brit. Ind. ii, 179. 



Annual or perennial herbs with paripinnate entire leaves ending in 

 a tendril <r bristle. F^ oners racemed or solitary. Calyx-tube 

 cainpanulate, oblique; teeth long, or the tipper shorL Corolla more 

 or less exserted, standard broad, keel shorter than the wings. 

 Stamens 2 adelphous, mouth of tube not oblique, anthers uniform. 

 Ovary sub.sessile or stalked, many-ovnled ; style flattened at the 

 apex, bearded on the inn'^r side, stigma capitate. Pod terete or 



