ERVUM. 
191 
often creamy- white in the Canaries hut not observed to be so in 
Mad. Pedic. as long as ped., in fr. abruptly deflexed at juncture 
with ped. Sep. linear-lanceolate twice as long as tube. Pods 
1-1^ in. long very short and turgid rhombic-ovoidal velvety- 
pubescent pale gr. or yellowish when ripe. Seeds 2 large (size 
of marrowfat peas) pale y. ovate gibbous obtuse rudely re- 
sembling a ram’s head ; when boiled hard and flavourless, but 
considered the best of the various kinds of field pulse cultivated 
by the Portuguese, and forming a frequent ingredient in their 
u Sopas.” In the Canaries, under the name of “ Garbanzos,” 
they are almost a universal adjunct to the u Puchefa,” that 
sine qua non of a Spanish dinner. 
22. Ervtjm L. 
§1. Lens Ser. in DC. ; pods slightly turgid short broadly ob- 
long 2-seeded. 
ftfl. E. Lens L. Lentilha , Mad. ; Ervilha PS. 
Erect branched bushy pubescent ; lfts. linear-oblong in mostly 
4-5 pairs with simple unbranched not prehensile tendrils ; stip. 
ovate or linear-lanceolate entire ciliate; ped. 1-3-fl. awned 
nearly as long as the 1. ; sep. linear-subulate equal as long as 
or longer than cor. ; pod short broad subtruncate smooth and 
even, 2-seeded ; seeds compressed lens-shaped smooth. — Desf. 
ii. 167 ; Brot. ii. 152; DC. ii. 366 ; Koch 219; Seub. FI. Azor. 
49. no. 383. Lens eseulenta Moench, WB. ii. 97. — Herb. ann. 
Mad. reg. 1, | ; PS. reg. 2, 3, ccc. Cult, as a crop amongst 
corn about the Piedade on P ta S. Louren^o in Mad. ; above the 
town beyond the windmills towards the Fonte d’Area and almost 
everywhere in PS. April, May. — A. small erect bushy leafy pi. 
6 or 8. in. high with small light or y.-gr. foliage. Whole pi. 
except the pods slightly hairy. L. short f-1 in. long. Tendrils 
very fine and filiform ^-f in. long straight or slightly curling, 
not prehensile, reduced on the lower 1. to a short awn or point. 
Lfts. 2-6 pairs, 2-5 lines long 1-2 broad truncate or retuse 
mucronulate, the uppermost linear-acute. Ped. mostly 2-fld. 
FI. small inconspicuous 2-2^ lines long light bluish ; cor. not 
longer than sep. ; standard blue upwards with darker streaks or 
lines. Style upwards sparingly puberulous only along the upper 
side. Stigma capitate. Cal. and sep. hairy, the latter very 
long and narrow linear and finely acuminate of equal length 
5 or 6 times longer than the very short tube. Pods pendulous 
subrhomboidal compressed somewhat turgid quite smooth pale 
yellowish brown or fawn-colour when ripe, 5-6 lines long, 3 
broad, rarely 1-seeded. Seeds rather large (2 lines diam.) or- 
bicular sharp-edged perfectly smooth and even, dark reddish- 
brown ; hilum very small and narrow linear short. 
