OROBUS SYLYATICUS. WOOD OROBUS, OR
BITTER VETCH.
OROBUS sylvaticus ; caule ramoso, decumbentc, quadrangulato, hirsuto, foliis pinnatis, multijugis,
ovato-lanceolatis ; stipulis semisagittatis.
OROBUS sylvaticus;.foliis pinnatis hirsutis multijugis ovato-lanceolatis, stipulis semisagittatis, caule
ramoso decumbente hirsuto. Willdemw Sp. PI. 3. p . 1076. Alton Hort. Kern. ed. 2. ml. 4
gI 305.
OROBUS sylvaticus ; caulibus decumbentibus hirsutis ramosis, foliolis numerosis. Smith F l. Brit,
ml. 2. p . 762.
OROBUS sylvaticus. L im . Syst. Feget, p . 550. Sp. PI. 1029- Amoenit. Acad. ml. 4. p. 284. Huds.
Angl.p. 314. Lightf. Scot. p . 390. t. 16. Hull Br. Fl. p. 160. With. Bot. A rr. ed. 4
ml. 3. ». 616. ed. 5. ml. 3. p. 775. Engl. Bot. A 518. Dicks. Hort. Sicc.fasc. 1 . n. 12.
Wade P lanta rarior, Hibem. p . 55. Lamarck Diet. ml. 4. p. 627. Fl. Fr. ed. 1. ». 580.
ed. 2. ml. 4. p. 586. Fl. Gall. p. 359. Deslong. Fl. Gall. p. 454. Roth Germ. ml. 1.
p. 306. ml. 2. p. 172. Aiton Hort. Kezv. ed. 1. ml. 3. p i 39. '
OROBUS sylvaticus nostras. RaiiSyn.p. 324. -------Hist.p. 1892. Act. Paris, an. 1706. p. 87. t. 90.
Toum. Inst. p. 393.
VICIA cassubica. Fl. Dan. t. 98. ( non Linn.) sec- Sm.
Fr. L'orobe des bois. Germ. Walderven.
Class and Order. DIADELPHIA DECANDRIA.
[Natural Order. LEGUMINOSiE, Juss. Adans. D e Cand. PAPILIONACE/E, Linn.]
Gen. Char. Stylus planus, supra villosus, supeme latior. Cal. lacinias superiores du<e breviores. Wil/d.
Radix perennis, lignosa.
Caoles plures, decurnbentes, pedales vel sesquipedales,
quadrangulati, atquc striati, flexuosi, virides pur-
pureo inixti, basi præcipue hirsuti, simplices vel
innovation!bus axillaribus ramosi, foliosi.
Folia numerosa, alterna, pinnata, arista brevi loco fo-
•lioli tenninata ; petioli supra canaliculati, magis
minusve hirsuli; foliola utrinque octo ad decern,
plerumque alterna; vix pedieellata,ovato-oblonga,
versus apicem paululum attenuata, mucrone brevi
tenninata, nudo bculo/svix subtus pilosa, supra læ-
Stipuiæ binæ, semisagittatæ, acuminatæ, margine ex-
teriore prope basin denticulo unico instruct», le-
viter pilosàe.
Racemi alterni; axillares, subdecemflori, longius pedun-
culati; pedunculi striati, pilosi ; pedicelli longi-
tudine calycis, teretes, rubicundi, pilosi ; Bracteis
minutissimis fusçis suffulti,
Flores albo-purpurascentes, conferti; secundi, subcer-
Calyx brevis, tubulosus, pilosus, obsolete nervosus, pal-
lidevirens aut rubedine tinctus, oreobliquo, quin-
quedentato, dente infimo ceteris îongiore. jrôg-. 1 .
Corolla papilionacea. Vexillum apice lateribusque re-
flexum, vehis purpureis striatum. Alæ conniven-
tes, parcius striatæ. Carina alba, apice purpuras-
cens. J i g . 2 .
STAMiNA-: Filamenta decern, unum liberum, novem coa-
lita. Antheræ lutescentes. Jig, 3.
USTILLOM: Germen oblongum, compressum, pedicel-
latum. Stylus reflexus. Stigma lineare, ad len-
tem pubescens. Jig, 4.
Root perennial, woody.
Stems many, decumbent, a foot or. a foot and a half
long, quadrangular and striated, flexuose, green
niixed with purple, at the base principally hairy,
simple or branched with axillary innovations.
Leaves numerous, alternate, pinnate, with short terminal
awns in the place of a leaf; petioles canaliculate
above, more or less hirsute; leaflets,on
each side eight or ten, generaljy alternate, scarcely
pedicellate, oblong, approaching to ovate, towards
the apex a little attenuate, terminated by a short
• mucro, to the naked eye slightly hairy beneath,
smooth above. '
Stipules two together, semisagittate, acuminate, at the
exterior margin, near the base, furnished with a
single tooth, slightly hairy.
Racemes alternate, axillary, bearing about ten flowers
on long peduncles; peduncles striated, hairy;
pedicels of the length of the calyx, round, reddish,
hairy, having at their base very minute brown
bractes.
Flowers purplish-white, growing from every side, but
leaning one way, somewhat nodding.
Calyx short, tubulous, hairy, faintly nerved, pale green
or tinged with purple, having an oblique fivetoothed
mouth, and the lower tooth longer than
the rest. Jig. 1.
Corolla papilionaceous. The standard with its apex
and sides reflexed, striated with purple veins
Wings connivent, less strongly striated. Keel
white, tipped with purple. Jig, 2.
Stamens : Filaments ten, one simple, the other nine
united. Anthers yellowish. Jig. 3.
Pistil: Gerrnen oblong, compressed, pedicellate. Style
reflexed. Stigma linear, under a microscope pubescent.
Jig. 4.
Siliquæ breves, compressæ, glabra?, fuscæ. Jig. 5.
Seedpods short, compressed, smooth, brown. Jig. 5.
ûEJihna duo vel tria, parva, fuâco-viridia. Jig. 6.
Seeds two or three, small, greenish-brown. Jig. 6.
.•S 1.1' countryman Ray, who has accurately described this plant in his Synopsis, is the first autlior who has nol
i u as,a native of this island. Me found it at Gamblesby in Cumberland, about six miles from Penrith '
^ieoges and^ pastures in the way to Newcastle. It has since been found i
various other parts of England and
IValpfc no ft/T 1 irr , Vv y ------- ------ ------- ------------------- - ... u,m.l JJO.1 U3 ui IMlgmilU anu
bv 1:1 VIM . ey ? ood’ Oxfordshire, mentioned by Ray : about Brecon, by Mr, Johnes; at Hafod, Mr. Todd* ■
road river near the bridge at Ysputty, in Caernarvonshire, by Mr. Griffith ; under Cross Fell, in the
Oriffifi A Vlk . to Gamblesby, by Hutchinson; about Vorglas and Cerig y Druidion, in Denbighshire, Mr,
i:„_V ,> below the Brecknock hills on the way to Cardiff, and not fair from Bala ' ” ' ■ ■ ■ ^ ~ —
>sel ; also near the cataract at Dolmelynllyn,
J.f.tln'9g, and the bridi
c miles south of Dolgelle, and i
Merionethshire, Mr. T. Wil-
pastures betwixt the i
bihin MJC UI'‘USW uver t,ie Cynfael near the Waterfalls, Merionethshire, Mr. Bingley; and near Garthof
»hi f|.on1tg0(.I^ei'yshire, Dr. Evans. In Scotland, where it is still more abundant, we have seen it aloi
uie Clyde fringing the rocks near the beautiful
Kostrevor. It flow
H LightfoofsipH tuv
snecip, nlf'f6161 § t P*ant |s g°od. Orobus sylvaticus is not at all likely to be confounded with the other British
jn {JI0"US tuberosus, having more the habit of a starved specimen of Vicia sylvatica.
« i l i i S Plant Srows t0 a lai'ge size) frequently covering a space several feet square, and throwing out
“«orol!»l|tatei. ism “?llyfound vicinity of water; but when cultivated it is not impatient of moisture,
hottest Sen y owlng to lls r00ts striking to a considerable depth, looking healthy and not flagging during the
but prsf™ ns’ when. * e neighbouring plants are shrivelled for want of water. It grows readily‘in most soils,
along the banks
has been found near
have :ade, the Corra L y n ; and in Ireland
May, June and July, and in the latter month the seed ripens,
the flower of this plant is but imperfectly expressed, and the whole is too hairy; but the
I sant|y loam, in which it often grows so luxuriantly as almost to exclude every other plant.
j h P* X,] S,3.’a very remarkable variety of this plant, bearing simple leaves, five times
, al leaflets, found by Mr. Todd at Hafod, and which cannot, by any culture, be brought to flower.