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V I C I A fativa.
Common Vetch.
D IA D E L P H I A Decandria.
G en. Char. Stigma tranfverfely bearded on the lower
fide, j
Spec. Chae. Pods fefiile, nearly upright, generally in
pairs. {Lower leaves blunt. Stipulae marked with a
difcoloured depreffion on the under fide.
Syn. Vicia] fativa. Linn. Sp. PI. 1037. Hudf. FI. An.
318. f'Vith. Bot. Arr. 776. Relh. Cant. 274. Sibth.
Ox. 224.
Vicia. Rati Syn. 320.
T h i s is a wild fpecimen of the common Vicia fativa, fo
called becaufe it is cultivated as an early fodder for cattle in
various parts of Europe, and the feeds are the food of pigeons.
It varies mtich in lize, and in the form as well as breadth of the
leaves, which are fometimes inverfely heart-lhaped, fometimes
(at leaft th|e upper ones) of an elliptic-lanceolate form. It is
eafily known by the deprefled mark on the ftipulae, which looks
as if made with a hot iron, and varies in colour from black to
brown, and even yellow. The root is annual. Stems weak,
procumbent if the tendrils meet with nothing to cling to for
fupport, atngular and furrowed, as are alfo the common foot-
ftalks of title leaves. Flowers in fhades of elegant purple. The
pods are more generally horizontal than eredt.
Mr. Hiidfon’s variety 0 of his V. lathyroides is generally
agreed to be a variety of the fativa. Its pods are erect, black,
cylindrical!—the flowers deep Ted. We have received it from
Weymoutai by favour of Sir Thomas Cullum. The a of V. la-
thyroides Hudf. feems to be the more common variety of fativa
mentioined in Withering; but their fynonyms are not very
eafily to be afcertained.