ST. JOHN: SABLE ISLAND. 81 
against the eroding forces that threaten to destroy the island. In 
1633 John Rose reported, "store of wild peas" (Winthrop, John: His- 
'tory of New England from 1630 to 1649, ed. James Savage i. 162, 1825). 
Writing in 1753 Andrew Le Mercier (L) says of the island, "It 
hath abundance of Wild or Beach Pease, which fatten the cattle very 
well." In 1766 and 1767 Joseph Frederick Wallet Des Barrcs 
found "wild pease" (Atlantic Neptune i. 68, 1777). Seth Coleman 
in 1801 found the "wild Pea" (Rept. on Canadian Archives 91,1895). 
Joseph Howe, in 1851, "was agreeably surprised to find it covered, 
for nearly its whole length of five and twenty miles, with natural 
grass and wild peas" (Append, to Journ. cf House of Assembly of 
N. S. 161, 1851). The "wild pea" is mentioned by .7. B. Gilpin, 
1858 (G. p. 18). ./. C. Tache mentions the al)un(lance ofthe"Len- 
tille du Canada, qu'on nomme ici 'pois sauvages'" (T. p. 29). 
J. Dwight, Jr. (D. p. 13) lists this with Gnaphalium sp. and calls 
them both weeds! Macoun says (M. p. 215A), "This one species 
of grass [Ammophila armaria] with the wild pea (Lathyrns viaritimus) 
constitutes the bulk of the wild hay cut for winter fodder and the 
winter pasturage of the wild horses. " Listed by ./. Macoun and 
H. T. Giissow. H. Sf. John, nos. 1,265 and 1, 266 (H). 
FL, Fr. — August. 
[L. palustris L. of ./. Macoun' s and //. T. Giissow' s list is of the 
var. macranthus.] 
L. palustris L., var. macranthus (T. G. White) Fernald. See 
Rliodora, xiii. 50 (1911). Abundant at the swampy or sandy borders 
of the fresh-water ponds. ./. Macoun (C. nos. 21,165 and 21,195); 
//. T. Giissow (E); //. St. John, nos. 1,2()7 and 1,268 (H). 
FL, Fr. — August and September. 
[L. PALUSTRIS L., var. myrtifolius (Muhl.) Gray of ./. Macoun's 
list is of the var. macranthus.] 
L. palustris L., var. retusus Fernald is: St. .lolin, n. var., sub- 
pilosus, caule tenue ])aul() alato, stipulis lanceolatis semisagittatis 
8-18 mm. longis, foliolis 2-3-jugis spatulatis vel cuneato-ellipticis 
nnicronatis retusis 2-4.5 cm. longis, 0.6-1.6 cm. latis, cirrhis 2-4- 
fidis, 4-ll()ris, 1.2-1.(5 cm. longis, legumine 4 cm. longo. 
Sonu'what pilose througliout : the stem slender, slightly winged: 
stipules lanceolate, semisagit tate, 8-18 nun. long: leaflets of 2 or 3 
pairs, spatuiate or cuneate-eiliptic, nuicronate, retusc, 2-4.5 cm. 
long, 0.6-1.6 cm. wide: tendrils well (leveloi)ed, 2-4-parted: flowers 
4 in number, 1.2-1.6 cm. in ieiigtli: the pod l cm. long. 
