t 483
V I C I A
]
lævigata.
Smooth-podded Sea Vetch.
D U D E L P H I A Decandria.
G est. Char. Stigma tranlverfely bearded on the lower
fide.
S p e c . C h a r . Pods feflile, folitary, reflexed, finooth.
Stems upright. Stipulæ greenith. Leaves finooth.
S y n . Vicia hybrida. HudJ. 319. TVith. 639.
T h i s fpecimen was gathered on the beach at Weymouth,
by the Rev. Mr. Baker, in Auguft 1792. On the authority of
an original fpecimen lent to Dr. Pulteney by the late Mr.
Hudfon, we pronounce it his V. hybrida, and confequently that
of Dr. Withering, who in this inftance has relied on the Flo.
Anglica. In fa ft, many perfons who have found this Vida at
Weymouth have taken it for hybrida ; others have fuppofed it
bithynica ; though it anfwers to the charafters of neither. The
true bithynica is alfo found at Weymouth. It appears by Mr.
Lightfoot’s herbarium, now in her Majefty’s pofTeflion, that he
was well acquainted with our V. lavigata. The Rev. Dr.
Goodenough has alfo communicated to us cultivated fpecimens,
and from long obfervation is convinced of the certainty of the
fpecies.
The Items of V. lavigata are only from fix to twelve inches
long, upright and always much lefs diffufe than thofe of V. lutea.
Leaves and whole plant entirely fmooth. Stipulae green, or
pale brown. Flowers like thofe of the lutea, but their calyx-
teeth are generally more equal in length. In colour they are
for the molt part lefs yellow, and fometimes quite blue ; but
both fpecies are fo extremely variable in that refpeft, we have
rather exprefled the two extremes of colour common to both.
The pods are readily known by being quite fmooth in every
Itage of their growth, and contain rarely more than five feeds.
It is perennial, flowering from July to September. The young
feeds are bitter and altringent, as in the other fpecies juft mentioned.
Scopoli’s V. grandiflora appears to us too uncertain to be referred
to any of our fpecies. Although Linnaeus in Sp. PI.
mentions his V. lutea as varying fometimes with almoft fmooth
pods, which we have not remarked in that, we have no authority
to fuppofe he confounded our lavigata with it.