Lathyrus Nissolia. Crimson Lathyrüs, or
Grass V etch.
LATHYRUS. Linn. Gen, È1. Diadelphia Decandria.
Stylus planus, füprä villofus, fuperne làtior. Cal. laciniae fuperiores.
duae breviprest
Rail Sym Gen. 23. H erbæ flore pApilIONaceo seu leGuminosæ.
LATHYRUS Nijfolia pedunculis unifloris, foliis fimplicibus, ftipulis fubulatis. Linn. Sp. PI. v. 2. ed. 3.
p. 1029. Syfi. Vege tab. ed. 14. Murr. p. 662;
LATHYRUS pedunculis unifloris, foliis grarriineis, ftipulis minimiss Halb, Hiß. n. 441.
LATHYRUS fylveftris minor. Bauh. Pin. 344.
CAT AN ANCHE leguminofa quorundam. J . B. II. 309.
VICIA folïö gramineo filiqua porre&iffima. Merr. p.
LATHYRUS anguftifolius ereólus, folio fingulari, fine capreolis Nifloli. Magn; Hort. i l 2. t. 112.
NISSOLIA parva flore purpuréo. 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 Catapanche. Wild grafle leafed Orobus. Park. Tb. p. 1079.
hCAULIS pedahs, et ultra, fuberectus, fimplex, raro 9
ramofus, angulatus, glaberrimus.
■ FOLIA alterna, ere&o patula, fefliliaj fubdecurrentia, a
fimplicia, graminea, lanceolata, linearia, mul- A
tinervia, inferne glaberrima, fuperne glauce- ©
fcenti-viridia, marginibus fæpe erofis. §
6TIPULÆ binæ, exiliflimæ, fubulatæ.
rLORES vivide purpurei, in pedunculis longis, fub-
folitarii, cernui.
rEDUNCULI axilläres, Tolitarii, uniflori, rariflime 1
biflori, ere&i, fubangulati, læves, fuperne 1
prope florem bra&ea mbulata inftruda, inter 1
florerri et bra&eam teretior evadit et pu-
befcit..
■ CALYX : Perianthium monophyllum tubulatum, ©
quinquefidum, quinquenepve, laciniis lanceo- f
latis acutis, .inferiore' longiore, ad lentem *
hirfutulis.'
KOROL LA papilionacea, vivide purpurea ; Vexillum
antice parum refiexum, dorfo compreflum ; (
Aloe fubovatæ, vexillo breviores, concolores ; (
v Carina femiorbiculata, tiimida, dilute rubens. i
KiTAMINA : Filamenta diadelphaf fimpléx et no-
vemfidum, aflurgentia ; A ntheræ fubro-
I tundæ, ßg. 1, 2.
■ PISTILLUM: G erm en. compreflum, oblongum, li-
I neare ; Stylus planus ; Stigma antice vil-
L lofum, ßg. g.
PERICARPIUM.: Legumcn lineare, bipollicare, pen-
• dulum.
ROOT annual and fibrous.
STALK a foot or more in height, nearly upright, unbranched
for the moft part, angular, very
fmooth.
LEAVES alternate, betwixt upright and fpreading,
feflile, fomewhat decurrent, Ample, grafly,
betwixt lanceolate and linear, many-ribbed,
below perfe&ly fmooth, above of a fomewhat
glaucous green colour, the edges often
bitten.
STIPULAE two, extremely fmall, and awl-lhaped.
FLOWERS of a brilliant purple colour, fitting fingly
on long footftalks, drooping.
PEDUNCLES axillary, folitary, one-flowered, very
rarely two-flowered, upright, fomewhat angular,
fmooth, on the upper part near the
flower furnilhed with an awl-fhaped bra&ea,
betwixt the flower and the bra&ea it becomes
rounder and flightly downy.
CALYX : a Perianthium of one leaf, tubular, five-
ribbed, mouth divided into five fegments,
which are lanceolate, fharp-pointed, the lower-
moft longeft, flightly hiriute if magnified.
COROLLA papilionaceous, bright purple or crimfon;
theA/tfWa/v^fomewhat reflexed, and comp refs’d
on the back; Wings fomewhat ovate, ihorter
than the ftandard, of the fame colour; Keel
femiorbiculate, tumid, of a faint-red colour.
STAMINA: Filaments in two bodies, one’ and
nine, riling upward; A n thers roundifh,
PISTILLUM: Germen flattened, oblong, linear;
Style flat; Stigma villous on the fore
■ part, fig. 3.
SEED-VESSEL: a linear Pod, about two inches long,:
and pendulous.
Er I ls ln P aft u res and among the grafly herbage on thé confines of-woods and hedges that this fpecies of
B p 1 yrus-> diftinguifhed for its grafs-like foliage and bright crimfon flowers, is chiefly found; in fuch fituations
■ is not very unfrequent in the neighbourhood of London : being an annual, its place of growth is liable to
K ikT r r i0n’ •an^ ^ -S § reat difficulty found, unlels when in flower, which it ufually is about the latter
W °, i une» in certain parts of the Ifle of Shepey, we have obferved this plant ftronger and in greater
»abundance than elfewhere. . 0
■ wliirv!• omet*mes found with white blofloms; D odon^-eus deferibes his flowers as yellowilh, and his figure
B l n ' 1S n-|j eclual.t°. moft of his others, reprefents two blofloms on a peduncle.
Bppe*S if1^ ^ate *s moïe beautiful than when cultivated; its blofloms being much more brilliant; they
ar- 1° ^ more advantage among the wild grafly herbage, where they have few or no formidable rivals:
Km a ment °* lts^owermg °b very ftiort duration, and is a fufficienu objedion to its being cultivated for
fcar(jely poffible to gather a wild fpecimen of this plant, which has not fome of its leaves bitten on thé
Bellruffive h&Ve ^ou.n(* erofion to be oceafioned by a fmall oblong Curculio, o f a pale-brown colour, very
B L jn VG °i? certam in the fpring of the year, to the foliage-of leguminous plants in general; in fome
Bitchen W'f. jia-,e ^een lbis in-fed check the growth and greatly injure fo large a plant as the common pea of the
B eaf anf L60’ an^ ^ave ^tt^e doubt but whole Clover crops are deftroyed by, it juft as they come into
Hbf this b f ne ,^ee^bnan, perhaps, blamed for the badnefs of .his feed we are not acquainted with the hiftory
I • > but recommend it to the ferious attention of the agriculturift.