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V I C I A fylvatica.
Wood Vetch.
/ J Oj
D I A D E L P H I A Deeandri'a•
G e n . C h a r . Stigma tra n fv e rfe ly b e a rd e d o n th e lowe r
fide.
S p e c . C h a r . Stalks many-flowered. Leaflets oval.
Stipulte denticulated.
S y n . Vicia fylvatica. Linn. Sp. PI. 1035. Hudf. FI.
An. 318. With. Bot. Arr. 774.
V. fylvatica multiflora maxima. Raii Syn. 322.
-L HIS Vetch, hitherto fuppofed peculiar to the mountainous
parts of England and Wales, has at length been found in a
wood near Newmarket, by the Rev. Mr. John Hempftead, a
very intelligent and induftrious botanift of that place, from
whom this fpecimen was fent us by William Matthew, Efq. in
the middle of June laft. It flowers from that time to the
middle of Auguft. Dr. Smith gathered it in the hedges and
thickets behind Saxton’s bath at Matlock.
The perennial root throws out many weak, zigzag, ftriated,
and much branched Items, fix or feven feet high, which climb
among the neighbouring bufhes by means of compound tendrils
at the ends of the leaf-ftalks. The leaflets are exadtly oval, or
rather a little obtufe, tipped with a minute brittle -, ftipulse
very deeply toothed. Flowers very ornamental, whitilh, elegantly
ftreaked with purple and greyilh blue. The keel is
generally white tipped with blue. The pods are lanceolate,
pale brown, and fmooth. They appear in July and Auguft.
Mr. Woodward’s defcription in the Bot. Arr. is a very accurate
one.