CL. XVII.] 24. LATHYllUS TUBEllOSUS, 411 



are half arrow-shaped, by having the lower teeth reflex. The 

 leaf-stalks stand open, are at least half an inch long, angular, 

 and carry each two opposite, oblong, entire leaves, tapering 

 at the base, somewhat rounded at the point, furnished with 

 an herbaceous spine, penetrated by many nerves and veins, 

 but in other respects smooth, and which are an inch long, and 

 rather more than half an inch broad. The leaf-stalk passes 

 above these leaves into divided crooked cirrhi. 



At the extremity of the shoots grow the flower-stalks, 

 about a finger in length, frequently still longer, without 

 leaves, smooth, roundish, and erect. The beautiful red flowers 

 stand in a six or eight blossomed bunch. The individual 

 flower-stalks stand open, are from three to four lines in length, 

 and have beneath them a linear stipula, w}iich is about one 

 half shorter than the flower-stalks. 



The calyx is divided into five lanceolate teeth, tv/o of which 

 commonly lie on the vexillum of the corolla, and three stand 

 beneath it. The corolla is papilionaceous. The vexillum is 

 emarginated, reflex, v/hite in the centre, of a beautiful red 

 above, and marked with red streaks below. The alse and the 

 carina, likewise of a beautiful red, are inferior to it. The 

 carina incloses a cylinder of filaments, one of which becomes 

 separated from the rest towards the vexillum. The other 

 nine are completely united : ail of them carry round, yellow- 

 ish antherae. Jn the middle of them stands the longisb, 

 compressed germen, with the ciliated, broad pistillum, and a 

 yellow, roundish stigma. The fruit, which is superior to the 

 calyx, is an unilocular, two-lobed, rather compressed legume, 

 which contains ten roundish seeds, fixed to one suture. 

 The embryon fills the whole seed with its two roundish 

 strong cotyledons. 



Diagnosis and Affinity, 



This species cannot easily be confounded with any other. 

 It is true that in Lathyrus pratensis the cirrhus also springs 

 frpm two opposite leaves ; but these leaves are lanceolate, taper^ 

 ing at the point, and the flowers are always yellow. In L. syL 



vfslris and latifbliiis^ also^, the flowers are red ; but in the 



