412! LATHYRUS TUBEROSUS. [CL. XVII. 



former they are more soiled, aixd the carina is green ; both 

 have leafy appendages on the stem and on the branches. The 

 leaves of L. sylvestris are about three inches long, and sharp- 

 ly tapered at their point. L. latifolius has flowers of a rose- 

 red colour ; oblong, rounded leaves, with an herbaceous spine, 

 and these leaves are also much larger than thqse of the other 

 species, and almost coriaceous. The stipulae are broad lan- 

 ceolate, and rather dentated. With other species it has still 

 less affinity. ' ^ 



The genus Lathyi'us has a very distinct character in the 

 flat pistillum, although in other respects it is nearly related to 

 Vicia, which, however, is distinguished by the hairs of the 

 roundish pistillum ; and Orohus^ which is related to both of 

 them, is distinguished only by the want of cirrhi. These ge- 

 nera belong to the natural family pf leguminous plants, which 

 stand between the Polygaleae ai>d Capparideas ; (An. % vid. 

 740.) 



Synonymes and Figures. 



Apios, Fuchs, 131. Dalecli. 1596. 

 Pseudoapios, Matth. ed. Bauh. 876. 



Terrae glandes, Dodon. 550. Lobel. Ic. 2. 70. Ger, Emac, 

 1237. 



Chamjebalanus, Tahern. 891- J- Bauh, Hist. 2. 328. 

 Arachydna Theophrasti, Column. Ecphr. 1. p. 304. t. 301, 

 X-athyrus arvensis, Parh. Theatr. 1061, radice tuberosa, 



Moris, sect. 2. t. 2. Riv. Tetrapet. Irreg, 

 L, tuberosus, Linn. Willd. Sp. PI 3. 1088. Fl Dan. 1463, 



Geographical DistributioTi. 



It is as yet completely unknown according to what law^ 

 this plant is distributed. We find it so dispersed from 30^* 

 to 56^" N. Lat. in the Old World, that some countries have it, 

 whilst others, lying in the same latitude, want it. Thus, it 

 is very common on the north coast of Africa ; on the other 

 hand, it is wanting in Greece and Asia Minor : it is found in 

 jl auris a nd Transylvania, in Germany, France, and Poland ; 

 but is wanting in S'Acden and Great Britain. In Denmark 



