394 
The Ohio Naturalist. 
[Vol. XV, No. 2, 
ViciEjE.—P ea Tribe. 
Herbs or vines erect or climbing by tendrils, usually glabrous 
and gray-green. Leaves pinnately compound, leaflets two to 
many; flowers axillary usually racemose though sometimes 
capitate or solitary; cotyledons remaining underground during 
the sprouting and growth of the seedling. 
Many of the Vicieae are cultivated for soiling, pasture, hay and 
seed. 
Key to the Genera. 
1. Leaves with terminal leaflet. 2. 
1. Leaves ending in a tendril, spine or bristle; style usually more or less 
hairy. 3. 
2. Peduncle one flowered, leaves serrate. Cicer. (1). 
2. Peduncle two to several flowered, leaves not serrate. Vicia (2). 
3. Stamen tube diagonal at the summit; style slender with a tuft of hairs 
or merely pubescence at the summit; veining of the leaves not promi¬ 
nent, veins pinnate. 4. 
3. Stamen tube with a flat top; style flattened, bearded along the inner 
side; stipules usually large; veins on the under side of the leaf promi¬ 
nent; veins branched or parallel. 5. 
4. Calyx lobes elongated; style flat; pod 2-seeded. Ervum (3). 
4. Calyx lobes short; style threadlike; pod generally more than 2-seeded. 
Vicia (2). 
5. Style without a groove; stipules mostly much smaller than the leaflets. 
Lathyrus (4). 
5. Style grooved on the underside; stipules nearly as large or larger than 
the leaflets. Pisum (5). 
1. Cicer L. Chick-pea. 
Pubescent herbs or shrubs with evenly or odd pinnate leaves 
and more or less serrate leaflets. Flowers pedicelled, few or 
solitary, white to purple. 
There are several species of Cicer, but only one has been 
generally introduced into the United States. 
1. Cicer arietinum L. Chick-pea. An upright, very glandular 
pubescent annual, 9-20 in. high. Leaves odd-pinnate; leaflets 
9-25, Y~Y in. long, Ys~Y in. wide; stipules ovate-lanceolate, toothed 
Peduncle one flowered; flowers Yi-Y> in. long, white to purple; 
pods very pubescent, 1-2 in. long; the seed light brown, angular, 
the micropylar point very prominent. 
2. Vicia (Tourn.) L. Vetch. 
Herbs or vines usually tendril-bearing, but sometimes with a 
terminal leaflet. Leaves nearly sessile evenly or odd-pinnate. 
Stipules sometimes with nectar glands. Flowers axillary, in 
twos or threes or racemose; style filiform, pod dehiscent, two to 
many seeded. 
