The BRITISH HERBAL. 
279 
FOREIGN SPECIES. 
DIVISION II. 
I. The Common Pea. 
Fifim fntivum. 
The root is compofed of feveral long ftraggling 
fibres. 
The ftalk is weal-, fiender, branched, and of 
a pale green: it ufually lays hold of flick?, or any 
thing that can fupport it, and will thus grow to 
more than a yard in height : when left unfup- 
ported, it trails tjpon the ground, and is lower. 
The leaves are regularly pinnated; each is com- 
pofed of two or three pairs of pinnae, which are 
roundilh, approaching to oval, of a tender fub- 
ilance, and of a greyilli green colour. 
The rib on which thefe ftand is terminated by 
a tendril, inftead of an odd leaf ; and at the bafe, 
where it joins the ftalk, there is a fingle broad 
leaf. . 
The flowers fland on long footftalks, and are 
white, with a fpot of purple in the middle. 
The pods are long and thick, and contain fix, 
eight, or ten peafc. 
This is wild in the corn-fields of Italy, and 
flowers in June. With us it is cultivated. And 
Bauhine and others call it Pifum hortenfe. 
The excellency of the feeds of this plant at our 
tables, have made the gardeners fo induftrious in 
its culture, that we fee innumer.ible varieties of 
it, which are in their way dillinguiflied by par- 
ticular names, and have been by fome defcribed 
as fo many fpecies. But they are all variations 
made by culture from this fingle fpecies. 
The Jield-pm, and the gardcn-fea, are in every 
refpecT:, but what is owing to culture, the fame 
plant : and in the fame manner ihehaf.ive and the 
rouncival, with all thofe other forts, the names 
of which are fo numerous, and fo continually in- 
creafing, are to be confidered by the botanifts as 
varieties of one and the fame original plant. 
The following fpecies is truly ditfimff. 
3. Single flowered Pea with cornered leaves. 
Pifum miifiGnun foliis migulatis. 
The root is divided, fpreading, fibrous, and 
irregular. 
The ftalks grow to three feet high when fup- 
ported. 
The leaves which fland on the main fl:alks, at 
the infertion of the pinnated ones, are of an ob- 
long figure, and cornered at the bottom, where 
they have ufually alfo two or three indcntings. 
The pinnated leaves confill each of two or three 
pairs of fmall oval pinnae on a rib, which arifes 
from the bofom of the cornered leaf, and is ter- 
minated by a divided tendril. 
The flowers Hand fingly on long, flcnder foot- 
fl:alks rifing from the bofoms of the leaves ; and 
they are large and white, or foraetimcs of a pale 
red, with a deep purple or blue fpot in the center. 
The pod is large, and the pea very fweet to the 
tafte. 
It is wild among the corn-fields in the warmer 
parts of Europe, and flowers in June. 
C. Bauhine calls it Pifumpulchrum folio angtilofo. 
The fruits of thefe feveral kinds are all of the 
fame quality, wholefome as food, but apt to 
breed wind. 
G E N U S 11. 
V E T C H L I N G. 
L J 1 H 2' R U S. 
THE flower is of the papilionaceous form, and is compofed of four petals. The vexillum is very 
larue : its fides and top turn back, and it is nipped at the extremity in a heart- fafhioned manner. 
The ate are (hort, of the figure of a new moon, and obtufe. The carina is of the length of the 
ate, but broader, and fplits inwards in the middle. The cup is of the beil-fliape, and is divided 
into' five fegments at the edge : the two upper of thefe are fliorter, and the fingle lower fegment is 
!on<Jer than°the ahc. The pod is very long, of a cylindric figure, and compreffed and pointed : the 
feeds are round, but a little angulated. The ftalks are flatted, and edged with membranes ; and the 
leaves are compofed only of one pair of pinnae. 
Linn.-Eus plrces this among the diaddphia decandria ; the threads being in two bodies, nine in one, 
and one in another. But he joins with it three other genera, diftinguiihed very evidently by Nature. 
Thefe are the ephaca, niffolia, and clymenum, to be defcribed hereafter : they agree in the minute parts, 
by which this author formed his charafters, with the lathyms, but not in others. 
DIVISION I. BRITISH SPECIES. 
I. Great, broad-lea%'ed Vetchling. 
i I.all'yms major latifoUus. 
The root is long, flender, and furniflied with a 
great number of crooked, irregular fibres, pene- 
trating a great way into the earth, and fupport- 
ing itlclf very firmly. * 
The fl:alks are numerous, llender, and weak j 
and, if they meet with nothing to fupport them, 
trail on the ground but, when they have bufliej 
for climbing, they grow to four feet high .- they 
are flatted, and as it were jointed. 
The leaves grow two together, and are long, 
broad, and ribbed ; there grow two 'fiender mem- 
branes, 
