KIDNEY-VETCH, or Lady's-finger: A genus of the decandria order, belonging to the delphiidae class of plants; and in the natural method ranking under the 32d order, Papilionaceae. The essential characters are: The calyx is ventricose, and the legumen is roundish and covered.

Species. Linnaeus enumerates nine species; of which the following seem to be most worthy of attention.

1. The vulneraria, with unequal winged leaves, is a native of Spain and Portugal, as likewise of Wales. It is a biennial plant, having single leaves at bottom, which are oval and hairy; but those which grow out of the stalks are winged, each being composed of two or three pair of lobes terminated by an odd one. The flowers grow collected into heads at the top of the stalks, are of a bright scarlet colour, and make a pretty appearance. It flowers in June and July, and the seeds ripen in October.

2. The montana or herbaceous woundwort, with winged leaves, grows naturally in the mountains in the south of France, and in Italy. It is garnished with winged leaves, which have an equal number of hairy lobes at the extremity of the branches. The flowers are produced in heads, and are of a purple colour and globular form. They appear in June and July, and the seeds ripen in October.

3. The barbajovis, or silver-bush, has its name from the whiteness of its leaves. This is a shrub which often grows to the height of ten or twelve feet, dividing into many lateral branches, garnished with winged leaves composed of an equal number of narrow lobes, which are very white and hairy: the flowers are produced at the extremities of the branches, collected into small heads; these are of a bright yellow colour, and appear in June; sometimes they are succeeded by short woolly pods, containing two or three kidney-shaped seeds: but unless the season proves warm, they do not ripen in this country.

4. The cytoides, or shrubby woundwort, has long been known in the English gardens. It is a low shrub, seldom rising above two feet high, but sends out many slender branches, garnished with hoary leaves, which are sometimes single, but generally have three oval lobes, the middle being longer than the other two: the flowers are yellow, and come out from the sides of the branches, three or four joined together, having woolly imparments; but these are rarely succeeded by seeds in England.

Culture. The first and second forts require no particular management further than being kept free from weeds. The third and fourth may be propagated by cuttings. cuttings planted during any of the summer months; observing to shade and water them till they have taken good root; when they are to be transplanted into pots, and must always be housed in winter.