Lathy rus Nissolia. Crimson Lathyrus, or 
Grass Vetch. 
LATHYRUS. Linn. Gen. PI. Diadelphia Decandria. 
Stylus planus, fupra villofus, fuperne latior. Cal. lacinias fuperiores 
du£E breviores; 
Rati Syn. Gen. 23. Herbas Flore Papilionaceo seu leguminosas. 
LATHYRUS NiJJolia pedunculis unifloris, foliis fimplicibus, Hipulis fubulatis. Linn. Sp. PI. v. 2. cd. 3. 
p. 1O29. Syjl. Vegetab. ed. 14. Murr. p. 662; 
LATHYRUS pedunculis unifloris, foliis gramineis, ftipulis minimis; Hall. Hijl. n. 441. 
LATHYRUS fylveftris minor. Bauh. Pin. 344. 
CATANANCHE leguminofa quorundam. J. B. II. 309. 
,VICIA folio gramineo filiqua porreftiflima. Merr. p. 
LATHYRUS anguftifolius ereftus, folio fingulari, fine capreolis Niflbli. Magn. Hort. I12. t. 112. 
NISSOLIA parva flore purpureo. Buxb. cent. 3. p. 84. t. 45. f. 1. 
ERVUM fylveftre. Dodon. Pempt. p. 529. Ger. emac. Crimfon grafle Fetch, p. 1249. 
ERVUM fylveftre five Catananche. Wild grafle leafed Orobus. Park. Ph. p. 1079. 
RADIX annua, fibrofa. § 
CAULIS pedalis, et ultra, fubereftus, fimplex, raro 0 
ramofus, angulatus, glaberrimus. . 0 
FOLIA alterna, erefto patula, feflilia, fubdecurrentia, 
fimplicia, graminea, lanceolata, linearia, mul- 
tinervia, inferne glaberrima, fuperne glauce- 
fcenti-viridia, marginibus fepe erofis.. 
STIPULAE binas, exiliflimae, fubulatze. 
FLORES vivide purpurei, in pedunculis longis, fub- 
folitarii, cernui. 
PEDUNCULI axillares, folitarii, uniflori, rariflime 
' biflori, erefti, fubangulati, lasves, fuperne 
prope florem braftea fubulata inftru&a, inter 
florem et brafteam teretior evadit et pu- 
befcit. 
CALYX : Perianthium monophyllum tubulatum, 
quinquefidum, quinquenerve, laciniis lanceo- 
la tis acutis, inferiore longipre, ad lentem 
hirfutulis. 
COROLLA papilionacea, vivide purpurea; - Vexillum 
antice parum reflexum, dorfo compreflum ; 
Alce fubovatas, vexillo breviores, 'concolores ; 
Carina femiorbiculata, tumida, dilute rubens. 
STAMINA: Filamenta diadelpha, fimplex et no- 
vemfidum, afturgentia ; Anther.e fubro- 
tundas, Jig. j, 2. 
PISTILLUM : Germen compreflum, oblongum, li- 
neare; Stylus planus ; Stigma antice vil- 
lofum, fig. 3. 
PERICARPIUM: Legumen lineare, bipollicare, pen- 
dulum. 
ROOT annual and fibrous. 
STALK a foot or more in height, nearly upright, un- 
branched for the moft part, angular, very 
fmooth. , 
LEAVES alternate, betwixt upright and fpreading, 
feflile, fomewhat decurrent, fimple, ’grafly, 
betwixt lanceolate and linear, many-nbbed,- 
below perfeftly fmooth, above of a fome- 
what glaucous green colour, the edges often 
bitten. 
STIPULAE two, extremely fmall, and awl-fhaped. 
FLOWERS of a brilliant purple colour, fitting fingly 
on long footftalks, drooping. 
PEDUNCLES axillary, folitary, one-flowered, very 
rarely two-flowered, upright, fomewhat an- 
gular, fmooth, on the upper part near the 
flower furnifhed with an awl-fhaped bra&ea, 
betwixt the flower and the braflea it becomes 
rounder and flightly downy. 
CALYX : a Perianthium of one leaf, tubular, five- 
ribbed, mouth divided into five fegments, 
which are lanceolate, fliarp-pointed,the lower- 
moft longeft, flightly hirfute if magnified. 
COROLLA papilionaceous, bright purple or crimfon; 
t heStandard fo m e wh a t reflexed, and comprefs’d 
on the back; Wings fomewhat ovate, fhorter 
than the ftandard, of the fame colour ; Keel 
femiorbiculate, tumid, of a faint-red colour. 
STAMINA: Filaments in two bodies, one and 
nine, rifing upward; Anther a- roundilh, 
fig- 1» 2. 
PISTILLUM : Germen flattened, oblong, linear; 
Style flat; Stigma villous on the fore 
• part, Jig, 3. 
SEED-VESSEL : a linear Pod \ about two inches long, 
and pendulous. 
it's in paltares And among the graffy herbage on the confines of woods and hedges that this fineries of 
Lathyrus, diftingu.lhed for its graft- hie fohage and bright crimfon flowers, is chiefly found; m finch fituTt on 
it IS not very unfrequent m the neighbourhood of London : being an annual, its place of growth is able fo 
great variation, and ,t is wuh great difficulty, found, unlefs when in flower, which 4 ufually ?, about thTLTr 
S2 l^SdS“r rtS ^ Me ° f ShCPey ’ ~ h2Ve ° bfaVed and ifg^r 
whml^fTofeqMi r mmofto h f' ht“h“™^ “ 5 ' eI1 ° Wifh ’ and his 
In its wild ftate it is more, beautiful than when cultivated, its bloflbms being much more brilliant the 
appear alfo to more advantage among the wild grafly herbage, where they have few or nHonSle rivaS 
orna P m”t emg " ° f ^ *»*■■>. and is a fufficent’ objection to its being cufca.ed for 
It is fearcely.pofiible to gather a wild fpecimen of this plant, which has not finme of l u- 
edges; we have found this erolion to beoccafioned by aWl obfong Curcul o of J I* b 'T ° n the 
dellrufihve on certain lands, in the fipring of the year,' to the foliage of leaumiiwu, M p e r brown c ° Iour . very 
fprings. we have fieen this infect check the growth and greatly injure fo laroe a Diamts thi” S " ur “ l : m l ° mt: 
kitchen garden, and we have little doubt but whole Clover frops are delfroved b ,1 ! the „ COIT " 4 on P ra °f ‘he 
leaf, and the Seedfiman, perhaps, blamed for the badnefs of h/fieed -Si , f **7 f* ,mo 
of this infea, but recommend it to the ferious attention of the agricultural, acquainted with the hillory 
