LA'THYRUS TUBERO'SUS. 
TUBEROUS LATHYRUS. 
Class. Order. 
DIADELPHIA. DECANDRIA. 
Natural Order. 
LEGUMINOSjE. 
Native of 
Height 
Flowers in 
Duration 
Cultivated 
Holland. 
6 inches. 
June, July. 
Perennial. 
in 1597. 
No. 139. 
The name of this genus has been transmitted to 
us from the ancients. Theophrastus, the celebrated 
Greek naturalist and historian, employed it three 
hundred years before the birth of our Saviour; and 
it has been ascertained that he used the term for 
some plant very similar to the one under considera- 
tion. Tuberosus, from its tuberous roots. 
The plants comprised in the natural family of 
which our present subject forms so beautiful an in- 
dividual, are numerous, and in general very showy. 
The term papilionaceous has been applied to them 
from the shape of their flowers ; which is derived 
from the Latin papilio, ‘butterfly. 
It is a tribe peculiarly adapted to the uses of the 
animal creation. The fruit of many sorts is eaten by 
man, and both the fruit and herbage of many more, 
are the natural food of numerous granivorous animals ; 
the pea, bean, vetch, the many species of trefoil, &c, 
may be quoted as familiar instances. 
This species of Lathyrus is very ornamental, and 
well suited to the mingled flower garden. The roots 
may be divided for increase, and planted in any 
common garden soil. 
Hort. Kew. 2. v. 4, 309.. 
