Class and Order.
Diadelphia Decandria.
Generic Character.
Stylus planus, supra villosus, superne latior. Cal. laciniæ superiores 2 breviores.
Specific Character and Synonyms.
LATHYRUS tuberosus pedunculis multifloris, cirrhis diphyllis: foliolis ovalibus, internodiis nudis. Linn. Syst. Vegetab. ed. 14. Murr. p. 663.
LATHYRUS arvensis repens tuberosus. Bauh. Pin. 344.
LATHYRUS arvensis sive terræ glandes. Pease Earth-Nuts. Parkins. Theat. p. 1061.
Grows spontaneously in various parts of France and Germany; Mr. Philip Hurlock lately shewed me some dried specimens of this plant, which he gathered in the corn fields, on the Luneburgh Heide, in Upper Lusatia, where it grew plentifully, and afforded a pleasing appearance to the curious traveller:—not so to the husbandman, to whom it is as noxious as the Convolvulus arvensis (small Bindweed) is with us, and equally difficult to extirpate, having powerfully creeping roots, which somewhat like the Helianthus tuberosus (commonly called Jerusalem Artichoke) produce large tubera, and which like those of that plant, are in high esteem with some as an article of food, and as such even cultivated abroad.