**Vicia benghalensis L. (Fabaceae)**

**Purple Vetch**

**Description**. Annual, stems vine-like or reclining, 2-8 dm long,
villosulous to puberulent. Leaves alternate, 4-10 cm long, pinnately
compound, leaflets 10-18, 10-25 mm long, 1.5-6 mm wide, elliptic to
oblong, the leaf apex modified into a tendril; stipules entire to
dentate. Inflorescence terminal or in upper axils, pedunculate, equal or
shorter than the subtending leaves, usually composed of 3-12 flowers
arranged along one side of the axis. Calyx tubular, swollen at the base,
villous, lobes 5, unequal in length, the apices plumose; corolla
papilionaceus, 10-18 mm long, reddish purple, petals often darker near
the tip; stamens 10; ovary superior, the style with a tuft of minute
hairs at the tip. Fruits 2.5-4 cm long, ca. 1 cm wide, puberulent, with
a stalk-like base ca. 1.5 mm long, with 3-6 seeds. In California,
flowering from March to June. (Ball 1968, Clapham et al. 1962, Hermann
1960, Isely 1993, Munz 1959).

Synonym= *V. atropurpurea* Desf.

**Note:** In Abrams (1944), *V. benghalensis* was apparently confused
with and included in the closely related *V. villosa* and *V. cracca* L.
Both of the latter species are characterized by glabrous fruits and
racemes that are usually longer than the subtending leaves (Ball 1968).
*V. villosa* is widely distributed in California and is further
characterized by having calyces swollen at the base (like *V.
benghalensis*). *Vicia cracca*, which may be a waif in California rather
than naturalized (Isely 1993), does not have swollen calyces. All three
species have pedunculate inflorescences, whereas *V. sativa* (common
vetch) has subsessile, axillary flowers that are much shorter than the
subtending leaf (Ball 1968, Isely 1993).

*Vicia sativa* L. has been treated as including at least 6 subspecies
(Ball 1968), of which two, ssp. *nigra* (L.) Ehrh. (synonym = *V.*
*angustifolia* (Wahlenb.) Roth, *V. sativa* var. *angustifolia* L.) and
ssp. *sativa* are known to be naturalized in the United States (Barneby
1989, Fernald 1950, Gleason and Cronquist 1991). Both forms have been
widely cultivated for agricultural purposes (Barneby 1989), but have not
become widely naturalized, at least in the arid west (Barneby 1989).

**Geographic distribution**. A native of Mediterranean Europe, *Vicia
benghalensis* has become naturalized in California, Australia, and
southern Africa (Arnold and de Wet 1993, Chapman 1991, Hermann 1960,
Isely 1993).

The first report of *Vicia benghalensis* in California (as *V*.
*atropurpurea*) was from Humboldt Bay (Jepson 1936). Earlier
introductions may have been likely, because of earlier confusion with
other introduced species. Both *V*. *villosa* and *V. cracca*, for
example, were first reported as locally introduced (Humboldt, Modoc, and
San Bernardino counties) by the end of the 19th century (Robbins 1940).
*Vicia sativa* (common vetch), a native of Europe, has been widely
cultivated and occasionally naturalized throughout most temperate
climates (Arnold and de Wet 1993, Chapman 1991, Fernald 1950, Hermann
1960, Ohwi 1965, Webb et al. 1988), and was widespread in California by
the mid 1800s (Robbins 1940).

Both *Vicia benghalensis* and *V. sativa* are known from Anacapa and
Santa Cruz islands (Junak et al. 1997) and are widespread throughout
much of California west of the Sierra Nevada (Anonymous 1998; Isely
1993).

**Reproductive and vegetative biology**. Close relatives (e.g., *Vicia
sepium*, *Lathyrus* spp) are self-compatible, partly self-pollinating,
and visited primarily by small bees (Kay 1978, Proctor et al. 1996). No
other literature was found that reported on the reproductive biology of
*Vicia benghalensis*, *V. sativa*, or *V. villosa*.

**Ecological distribution**. Both purple and common vetch occur in
disturbed sites of roadsides, fields, and waste places (Clapham et al.
1962, Isely 1993, Munz 1959). Purple vetch is widespread but not common
in California coastal prairie (Heady et al. 1988).

**Weed status.** Neither *Vicia benghalensis*, *V. villosa*, nor *V.
sativa* are considered noxious weeds in agricultural or horticultural
practice, at least at a global level (not listed by Holm et al. 1977),
nor are they considered noxious weeds by the State Dept. of Food and
Agriculture (Anonymous 1996). Except *for V. sativa* (under the name *V.
angustifolia*) they are not listed as weeds in the United States in
Lorenzi and Jeffery (1987).

**Microbial and insect pathogens**. Based on a survey of mycological
literature El-Gazzar (1981) reported that *Vicia* spp. were known to be
host to several species of the rust fungus *Uromyces*. A companion
survey of entomological literature revealed that *Vicia* spp. served as
hosts to several different Bruchid beetles (Johnson 1981). No other
literature was found pertinent to microbial or insect pathogens of
either *Vicia benghalensis*, *V. sativa*, or *V. villosa*.

**Herbicide** **control**. No literature was found pertinent to
herbicide control of *Vicia benghalensis* or *V. villosa*. The use of
dicamba or 2,4-D for controlling *V*. *sativa* (under the name *V.
angustifolia*) and other species (e.g., *V. dasycarpa*) was suggested by
Lorenzi and Jeffery (1987).

**Literature Cited**

Anonymous. 1996. Exotic pest plants of greatest ecological concern in
California as of August 1996. California Exotic Pest Plant Council. 8
pp.

Anonymous. 1998. USDA Plants Database, Baton Rouge, LA. URL =
usda.plants.gov.

Abrams, L. (ed.). 1944. Illustrated flora of the Pacific states. Volume
2. Polygonaceae to Krameriaceae. Stanford University Press, Stanford,
California. 635 pp.

Arnold, T. and B. de Wet. 1993. Memoir 62. Plants of southern Africa:
names and distribution. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria. 825 pp.

Ball, P. 1968. *Vicia*. pp. 129-136. In Tutin et al. (eds). Flora
Europaea. Volume 2. Rosaceae to Umbelliferae. Cambridge University
Press, Cambridge. 455 pp.

Barneby, R. 1989. Fabales. pp. 1-279. In Cronquist et al. Intermountain
flora. Volume 3. Part B. 279 pp.

Chapman, A. 1991. Australian plant name index. Q-Z. Australian
Government Publishing Service, Canberra. pp. 2477-3055.

El-Gazzar, A. 1981. Systematic implications of susceptibility to
*Uromyces* rusts in Leguminosae. pp. 979-994. In Polhill, R. and P.
Raven (eds). Advances in legume systematics. Part 2. Royal Botanic
Gardens, Kew, England. pp. 427-1049.

Fernald, M. 1950. Gray's Manual of Botany. Eighth Edition. American Book
Company, New York. 1632 pp.

Gleason, H. and A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of the vascular plants of
northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. 2nd edition. New York
Botanic Garden, Bronx. 910 pp.

Heady, H., T. Foin, M. Hektner, D. Taylor, M. Barbour, and W. Barry.
1988. pp. 733- 760. In Barbour, M. and J. Major (eds.) . Terrestrial
vegetation of California. California Native Plant Society, Sacramento.
1002 pp.

Hermann, F. 1960. Vetches of the United States, native, naturalized, and
cultivated. US Dept. of Agriculture Handbook No. 168. Washington DC. 84
pp.

Holm, L., D. Plucknett, J. Pancho, and J. Herberger. 1977. The world's
worst weeds: distribution and ecology. University Press of Hawaii,
Honolulu. 609 pp.

Isely, D. 1993. Vicia. pp. 654-657. In J. Hickman (ed.) The Jepson
Manual: higher vascular plants of California. University of California
Press, Berkeley. 1400 pp.

Jepson, W. 1936. A flora of California. Volume 2. Capparidaceae to
Cornaceae. University of California, Berkeley. 684 pp.

Johnson, C. 1981. Seed beetle specificity and the systematics of the
Leguminosae. pp. 995-1027. In Polhill, R. and P. Raven (eds). Advances
in legume systematics. Part 2. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, England. pp.
427-1049.

Junak, S., T. Ayers, R. Scott, D. Wilken, and D. Young. 1995. A flora of
Santa Cruz Island. Santa Barbara Botanic Garden and California Native
Plant Society, Santa Barbara and Sacramento. 397 pp.

Kay, Q. 1978. The role of preferential and assortative pollination in
the maintenance of flower color polymorphisms. pp. 175-190. On A.
Richards. (ed.) The pollination of flowers by insects. Linnean Society
of London, Symposium Series No. 6. 213 pp.

Lorenzi, H. and L. Jeffery. 1987. Weeds of the United States and their
control. Van Nostrand Company, New York. 355 pp.

Munz, P. 1959. A flora of California. University of California Press,
Berkeley.

Ohwi, J. 1965. Flora of Japan. Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C.
1066 pp.

Proctor, M. P. Yeo, and A. Lack. 1996. The natural history of
pollination. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon. 479 pp.

Webb, C., W. Sykes, and P. Garnock-Jones. 1988. Flora of New Zealand.
Volume 4. Naturalized pteridophytes, gymnosperms, dicotyledons.
Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Christchurch. 1365 pp.