﻿316. — Sm. FI. Brit. v. ii. p. 766. Engl. FI. v. iii. p.277. — With. (7th ed.) v. iii. 

 p. 840. — Gray’s Nat. Arr. v. ii. p. 611. — Lindl. Syn. p. 85.— Hook. Brit. FI. p. 

 322. — Mart. FI. Rust. t. 8. — Abbot’s FI. Bedf. p. 156. — Relh. FI. Cantab. (3rd 

 ed.) p.292.— Hook. FI. Scot p. 214. — Don’s Gen. Syst. of Gard. and Bot. v. ii. 

 p.332. — Walk. FI. of Oxf. p. 208. — Bab. FI. Bath. p. 14. — Lathyrus major 

 latifolius, Ray’s Syn. p. 319. — Johnson’s Gerarde, p. 1229. .* 



Localities. — In woods and hedges. Very rare. — Berks ; In Tubney Wood, 

 about six miles from Oxford: Miss Hoskins. — Bedfordsh. Hawnes and Brom- 

 ham : Rev. C. Abbot. — Cambridgesh. Borley Wood, on the S. W. side; In 

 the woody part of the Devil’s Ditch, near Canvass Hall : Rev. R. Relhan. — 

 Cornwall ; Cliff near Fowey: Edw. Duke, Esq. — Hampsh. On Sandown 

 Beach, Isle of Wight: Dr. Pulteney. — Kent ; In a hedge at Copton ; and by 

 the road-side near Boughton-street, near Feversham : Mr. E. Jacob. — Somer- 

 setshire ; At Charlcombe and lnglishcombe, and inClaverton, Warley, Wolley, 

 and Smallcombe Woods: Rev. C. C. Babington. — Worcestersh. In Severn 

 Stoke Copse : Mr. Ballard. — WALES. Carnarvotish. Near Gyffen Mill, 

 about half a mile from Conway : Bingley. — SCOTLAND. Among the debris 

 of Salisbury Craigs: Miss Boswell. Woods near Kirkcudbright: Mr. 

 Maughan. 



Perennial. — Flowers in July and August. 



Root much branched, but not creeping. Herb smooth, of a 

 somewhat glaucous hue. Stems several, thick, broadly winged, and 

 climbing, by means of tendrils, to the height of 6 or 8 feet. Lea flets 

 in pairs, broadly elliptical, rolled in at the edge, blunt at the sum- 

 mit, but terminating in a little point or bristle, 3- or 5-ribbed, 

 reticulated with veins. Tendrils generally in 5 branches, terminating 

 the leaf-stalks, which are winged, and furnished at their base with 

 a pair of half-halbert-shaped stipulce. Flowers from 5 to 10 toge- 

 ther, on long axillary peduncles, each flower on a short partial 

 flower-stalk (pedicel), with a small awl-shaped bractea at its base. 

 Lower teeth of the Calyx elongated. Corolla large and handsome, 

 of a fine rose-colour. Legume long, compressed, and rather 

 narrow. 



This species is distinguished from Lathyrus sylvestris by the 

 greater breadth of the leaves, (which are always broader than the 

 winged stem,) and by the greater abundance as well as superior 

 size of the flowers, which are very shewy ; and frequently begin to 

 expand as early as June, and continue, in succession, through the 

 months of July, August, September, and October. On this account 

 it is often cultivated in gardens, but, as it is a large and somewhat 

 ram pant growing plant, it is better adapted for shrubberies, arbours, 

 and trellis work, than for the common flower border. Bees resort 

 much to this plant, and the flowers furnish them with abundance 

 of honey. Professor Martyn suggests, that the prodigious crop 

 yielded by this plant, and the lasting nature of its roots, even in a 

 barren soil, should render it a fit object for agricultural expe- 

 riment. 



A variety with a white flower is sometimes met with in gardens, 

 but it is rather rare. Mr. Don notices a curious variety ( var . mon - 



strdsus, Gen Syst. of Gard. and Bot.) , with a calyx of 5 linear se- 

 pals ; abortive petals and stamens ; and foliaceous legumes, desti- 

 tute of seeds. Neither of these varieties have been found wild 

 in England. 



