2844
ARTHROLOBIUM ebracteatum.
Sand Joint~ Vetch.
D IAD E L PH IA Decandria.
Gen. Char. Legume cylindrical, curved, of many
close single-seeded joints, whose sides are equal.
Bracteas none.
Spec. Char. Stem filiform. Peduncles about equal
to the leaves, 2-4-flowered. Stipules very minute.
Leaves pinnated, with many pairs of equal elliptic
oblong leaflets, the lower pair remote from
the stem.
Arthrolobium ebracteatum. Reich. FI. Excurs. n.
3496. Koch. Syn. 189. Hook. Br. FI. ed. 4.
273. Bab. Prim. Sam. 29.
Astrolobium ebracteatum. DeCand. Prod. v .2 .311.
Bot. Gall. 146.
Ornithopus ebracteatus. Brotero FI. Lus. v. 2. 159.
St. Aman FI. Agen. 301. Desvaux FI. Anj.
353. Lois. FI. Gall. ed.2. v. 2. 164. t. 13.
T h i s genus was first constituted by Desvaux in his
Journal de Botanique, “ 3 .121. t. 4. f . 10.” and by some accident
was changed by DeCandolle into Astrolobium, a mistake
which has been followed by several compilers. It is
distinguished from Ornithopus by its cylindrical pod, and
the total absence of bracteas.
The writer of this was so fortunate as to discover this
elegant little plant on the race-course, near Yale church,
Guernsey, in August 1837, and noticed it during the
summer of 1838 in great profusion and beauty on the