Lathyrus Aphaca. 
Yellow Vetchling. 
LATITV RUS Lin. Gen. PI. Diadelphia Decandria. 
Stylus planus, fupra villofus, fuperne latior. Cal. lacinia: fuperiores 
2 breviores. 1 
Raii Syn. Gen. 23. Herb/E flore papilionaceo seu leguminos.e. 
LATHYRUS Aphaca pedunculis unifloris, cirrhis aphyllis, ftipulis fagittato-cordatis. Lin. Sv/l 
Vegetab. p. 662. Sp. Pl. 1029. 
LATHYRUS aphyllos ftipulis fagittatis latiftimis. Haller hifl. n. 442. 
LATHYRUS Aphaca. Scopoli FI. Cam. n. 887. 
VICIA lutea foliis convolvuli minoris. Batch. Pin. 345. 
APHACA Parkin/. 10 67. Ger. emac. 1250. Raii Syn. ed.g.p. 320. Hudfon FI. Angl. ed. 2 . p. 315. 
RADIX annua, fibrofa. 
CAULIS pedalis, fefquipedalis, et ultra, debilis, ope 
cirrhorum fcandens, tetragonus, laevis. 
FOLIA nulla. 
STIPULE bins, magnae, fagittato-cordatae, obtufae, 
utrinque prope bafm denticulo notatae, 
glaucae, fubtus nervofae. 
CIRRHUS fimplex, patens. 
FLORES lutei, parvi, folitarii, pedunculati, axil- 
lares. 
PEDUNCULI foliis longiores, tetragoni, uniflori, 
bra£laea minima prope florem inftru&i. 
CALYX : Perianthium monophyllum, quinque < 
partitum, laciniis lanceolatis, fubaequalibus, 
nervofis, longitudine fere corollae, fig. i. ! 
COROLLA papilionacea, Vexillum luteum, re- - 
flexum, intus lineis caeruleis ftriatum, fig. 2. 
Alje luteae, fubrotundae, longitudine carinae, 
hamis duobus inaequalibus, pallidioribus, 
fig. 3. Carina pallide fulphurea, poftice 
fllfa, fig. 4. 
STAMINA : Filamenta decem, fimplex, et novem 
fidum, affurgentia, albida. Anther a: fub- 
rotundae, luteae, fig. g. 
PISTILLUM Germen oblongum, compreflum, vi- 
ride, glabrum; Stylus furfum ere&us, 
pallidior, fuperne latior, obtufus ; Stigma 
a medietate ftyli antice villofus, fig. 6. 
PERICARPIUM: Legumen unciale, latiufculum, 
compreflum. 
SEMINA feptem o&ave, fubrotunda, nitida. 
ROOT annual, and fibrous. 
STALK a foot, a foot and a half or more in height, 
weak, climbing by means of its tendrils’ 
four-cornered, and fmooth. 
LEAVES none. 
STIPULAE growing in pairs, large, betwixt arrow 
and heart-fhaped, obtufe, on each fide near 
the bafe furnifhed with a tooth, glaucous, 
and ribbed on the underfide. 
TENDRIL fimple and fpreading. 
FLOWERS yellow, fmall, folitary, growing on 
footftalks from the alas of the leaves. 
FLOWER-STALKS longer than the leaves, four- 
cornered, one-flowered, furnilhed near the 
flower with a minute bra&aea or floral leaf. 
CALYX: a Perianthium of one leaf, deeply di- 
vided into five fegments, which are lanceo- 
late, nearly equal, ribbed, and almoft the 
length of the corolla, fig. 1. 
COROLLA papilionaceous. Standard yellow, re- 
flexed, ftriped on the infide with blue lines, 
fig. 2. Wings yellow, nearly round, the 
length of the keel, claws two, unequal, 
paler, fig. 3. Keel of a pale fulphur colour, 
cloven behind, fig. 4. 
STAMINA: ten Filaments, one fingle, nine con- 
ne£ted, rifing upwards, whitifh ; Anthers 
roundifh and yellow, jig-. 5. 
PIS TILLUM Germen oblong, flat, green, and 
fmooth. Style rifing upwards, upright, 
paler, dilated above, obtufe ; Stigma which 
fifes from the middle of the ftyle villous on 
its fore part, fig. 6. 
SEED-VESSEL: a Pod about an inch in length, 
broadilh, and flattened. 
SEEDS feven or eight, roundifh, and finning. 
We have here a very unufual phenomenon in the vegetable ceconomy, a plant whofe ftipula: fupply the 
place of leaves, at leaf! when the plant becomes of a certain age ; for, by a kind of accidental examination 
we lately difcovered that this fpecies of Lathyrus, foon after it comes up from feed, is ufually furnifhed with 
one or more pair of leaves, fimilar to the other plants of this family, but which, as the plant advances 
totally difappear ; thefe are reprefented at fig. 7. * 
A fomewhat Gmilar appearance we noticed laft Cummer at Mr. Malcolm’s, Remington , in a rare fpecies 
of Mimofa, called vcrtiaUata, all the leaves of the young plants were pinnated, and all thofe of the old plants 
whorled. “ 
Linnaeus, in his Species Plant, takes fome notice of the Aphaca’s producing leaves; his words are, Cirrhus 
interdum aliquis gerit foliola conjugata t 2, lanceolata , reliquis Lathyris fimillima at hoc rari/fime. 
According to our obfervation, the leaves grew on footftalks in the ufual way, without any, or a very fhort 
tendril, and they were obfervable on every feedling ; hence we fufpeft them to be common to this plant 
when young ; and rare, merely from being overlooked. * 
This fpecies is an annual which grows fpontaneoufly in our corn fields, but is not common in the neigh- 
bourhood of London ; we have obferved it moft frequently about Tottenham and Enfield. 
It flowers in June and July. 
No particular ufes or noxious qualities are afcribed to it. 
