LATHY'RUS, a genus of plants of the natural leguminosce, sub-order papilionacea.. The leaves are furnished with tendrils, and are pinnate, but often only with one pair of leaflets. The species are numerous, annual and perennial herbaceous plants, natives of temperate countries in the northern hemisphere. Few of them are American. A num ber are natives of Britain. Some have very beautiful flowers of considerable size, on account of which they find a place in flower-gardens, as lathyrus latifolius and lath yrus sylvestris, the latter a native of England, and the former of the s. of Europe, both peren nials, and known by the name of EVERLASTING PEA. The SWEET PEA (lathyrus odoratus), a native of the east, is one of the best known ornaments of our flower-gardens, a hardy annual, esteemed not only on account of the beauty of its flowers, but of their delightful fragrance. Many varieties are in cultivation, differing in color, etc. The most common Britishspecies is the MEADOW VETCEILING (lathyrus pratensis), with bright yellow flowers. Lathyrus sativus, the CHICKLING VETCH or LENTIL OF SPAIN, a native of the s. of Europe, with flowers generally of a bright blue color and winged pods, is
cultivated in India and in Germany, France, and other countries for its seeds, the flour of which, however, is mixed with other flour rather than used alone, on account of nar cotic qualities which it possesses, and which caused its cultivation for food to be inter dicted in Wurtemberg in 1671. An incurable paralysis of the limbs has sometimes been produced by it, both in human beings and lower animals. The seeds of lathyrus deem,. although sometimes used by the country people of France, are even more dangerous_ Those of lathyrus aphaca, a species sometimes found on gravelly soils in England, pos sess similar qualities when ripe, but in an unripe state are eaten with the pods which contain them, and are quite wholesome. Lathyrus tuberosu.s, a native of Germany and other parts of Europe, but not of Britain, is cultivated on the continent for its amylaceous tubers. The tubers are sometimes called Dutch mice; in Germany, they are known as. earth-nuts. The herbage of the plant is relished by cattle.