  Class and Order. Diadelphia Decandria. Generic Character. Cor. carina transverse obtusa. Legumen articulis 1-spermis. Specific Character and Synonyms. HEDYSARUM obscurum foliis pinnatis, stipulis vaginalibus, caule erecto flexuoso, floribus pendulis. Linn. Syst. Vegetab. ed. 14. Murr. p. 676. Mant. 447. Jacq. Fl. Austr. v. 2. t. 168. HEDYSARUM caule recto, ramoso; foliis ovatis; siliquis pendulis, lÆvissimis, venosis. Hall. Hist. Helv. n. 395. ONOBRYCHIS semine clypeato lÆvi. Bauh. Pin. 350. Prof. Jacquin, in the second volume of the Flora austriaca, gives an excellent figure and accurate description of our plant, a native of the Alps of Germany and Switzerland, and points out the characters in which it differs from the alpinum, for which it has sometimes been mistaken. It is a hardy perennial, rarely exceeding a foot in height, produces its spikes of pendulous flowers, which are of a most beautiful purple colour, in July and August; hitherto these have not been succeeded by seed-vessels with us; though we have cultivated the plant for several years. Its size renders it a suitable plant for rock-work, on which it will grow readily, increasing by its roots, which are of the creeping kind. Haller mentions a variety of it with white flowers. |
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