The Meadow Vetchling is not nearly such a stout plant as the Lady's
Fingers. Its stem is feeble and requires to find support by holding on
to the hedges, or to some other strong plant.
The flowers are a beautiful golden yellow. They grow in loose bunches
near the end of a straight, stiff flower-stalk. Notice that all the
flowers face one way, and that in each flower the largest yellow petal
is daintily streaked with purple.
You cannot see either the stamens or the seed-vessel, which are hidden
inside the flower.
The sepals are joined so that they form a green cup which has five sharp
points round the mouth.
The leaflets grow in pairs at the end of the leaf-stalk. They are long
and narrow, like a lance, with fine lines running from end to end. In
between each pair of leaflets you find a green twisted thread called a
tendril. This tendril curls round the stem of plants that are stronger
than the Meadow Vetchling, and they support it.
Wherever the leaf-stalk joins the main stem you will find another pair
of green leaves. These leaves are shaped like the head of an arrow, and
they have a name of their own, which you will learn when you know more
about plants.