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L A T H Y R U S Niffolia.
Crimfon Grafs-vetcb.
D I A D E L P H I A Decandria.
G en. C har. Style flattened, downy above, broader up-
wards. Two upper fegments of the calyx fhorteft.
Spec. C har. Flower-ftalks fingle-flowered. Leaves
Ample. Stipuke awl-lhaped.
Syn . Lathyrus Niffolia.. Linn. Sp.' PI. 1022. HudJ.
FI. An. 315. With. Bot. Arr. 770. Relb. Cant. 271.
Catanance leguminofa quorundam. Rail Syn. 325.
F O U N D by the Countefs of Oflory in a wood near Ampt-
hill park, and communicated by T . Vaux, Efq. of Bedford/
The young plant, before flowering, is fo like a grafs that even
an experienced botanift might miitake it for fuch ; and it certainly
efcapes notice frequently, as Ray obferves, by that means,
though we think he fpeaks of this fpecies as more common than
it really is, in the borders of fields, among bufhes, &c.
Its Ample grafiy leaves diftinguifh this from other plants of
the fame tribe. They are accompanied by a pair of very minute,
awl-lhaped, fpreading ftipulae at their bafe. Sometimes,
Mr. Hudfon fays, two flowers are found on one footftalk. They
are of a beautiful rich crimfon, very elegant in appearance; the
pods long, linear, nearly cylindrical, and fmooth, with many
feeds; the root annual. The flowers appear early in May.
Linnseus, in this inftance, as in many others, has preferved
an old generic name, Niffolia, given by Tournefort, as a trivial
name, retaining its original feminine termination. Such trivial
names, being fubftantives, ought always to begin with a capital
letter. Many perfons, for want of underftanding this, have ac-
cufed Linnseus of writing falfe concorcjs. Another example
of the fame is Lotus Corniculata ; fome fuch word as diflus
being always underftood. We do not mean to commend fuch
trivial names, expreffive adjeftives being undoubtedly better.