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Agriculture Handbook ^o. 168)/^

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ml March 1960//

(u.S. DEPARTMCNT OF AGRICULTURE, ~*?^

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Washingtpn^^D.C.
7" VETCHES IN THE UNITED STATES—

Native, Naturalized, and Cultivated ^\

By F. J. HERMANN, senior hotanist^ Crops Research Division^

^-^-"""^ Agricultural Research Sei^vice

Vetches (species of Vicia) form one of the most economically important genera of legumes. The cultivated

species are particularly palatable and nourishing to domestic livestock and are useful as cover crops ; the native

species, among the most useful ones for wildlife, are used

extensively in the West for grazing; and all species are

important for their nitrogen-fixing ability.

An increasing number of exotic vetches are coming into

cultivation for forage in the United States; among the

most recent ones is the woollypod vetch {Vicia dasycarpa). About 35 species of Vicia, several with pronounced varieties, are now commonly found in this

country. Because many of the species are difficult to

distinguish from one another, and because none of the

keys so far published covers even half the species, the

following complete key and detailed descriptions and illustrations of all the species are presented to bring out

additional distinguishing characters. Distribution of each

native species, based on material in the United States National Herbarium, is shown on a map accompanying the

illustration of that species.

Another genus of legumes Lathijrits (the wild peas),

resembles Vicia so closely in general appearance as to be

frequently confused with it. The true vetches may be

readily distinguished from the wild peas by their threadlike, cylindrical style which is bearded with a tuft or ring

of hairs at the tip, in contrast with th(^ flattened style

bearded down the inner face in Lath/jrus. Furthermore,

in Vicia the wing petals are united with the keel of the

corolla, whereas in Lafhyrus they are free or nearly so.
AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 168, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

Key to Species

la. Leaves without tendrils; plants erect.

2a. Pod constricted between the seeds; leaflets 7 to 15

pairs 1. V. eiv)ilia.

2b. Pod not constricted between the seeds; leaflets 1 to 3

pairs.

3a. Annual; stem thick, 4-angled; leaflets fleshy, bluegreen, oval, obtuse; peduncles 2- to 4-flowered; pod

large, 8 to 20 cm. long, 1 to 3 cm. Avide, tumid; seeds

large, 2 to 3 cm. in diameter 2. V. faba.

3b. Perennial; stem slender, terete; leaflets thin, bright

green, ovate-acuminate; peduncles 3- to 40-flowered;

pod small, 2 to 4 cm. long, less than 1 cm. wide; seeds

small, 3 to 3.5 mm. in diameter.

4a. Leaflets 1 to 3 pairs; peduncles 3- to 8-flowered;

calyx-teeth acuminate, reflexed, 3 to 6 mm. long; pod

7 to 9 mm. wide, black at maturity 3. F. oroioides.

4b. Leaflets consistently 1 pair, peduncles (2) 4- to 40-

flowered ; at least the upper calyx-teeth short, broad

and obtuse to mucronate, erect, 0.5 to 1 mm. long;

pod 5 mm. wide, pale brown 4. F. unijuga.

lb. Leaves tendril-bearing; plants usually climbing or reclining (except F. narhonensis),

5a. Peduncle, if present, much shorter than the leaflets;

flowers few (often solitary or paired), sessile or subsessile in the upper leaf-axils.

6a. Calyx-teeth subequal, linear to lanceolate, half as long

as the tube or longer.

7a. Tendrils all simple; flowers 5 to 8 mm. long, solitary; calyx 4 to 6 mm. long; seeds quadrangular,

verrucose 5. F. lathyroides.

7b. Tendrils mostly forking; flowers 10 to 35 mm. long,

mostly 2 to 5 ; calyx 9 to 17 mm. long; seeds globose

to flattened-orbicular, smooth.

8a. Calyx-teeth (at least the upper) much shorter

than the tube; flowers (1.5) 2 to 3.5 cm. long,

yellow or yellow suffused with violet.
VETCHES IN THE UNITED STATES 3

9a. Pod glabrous or short-pubescent; flowers 2.5 to

3.5 cm. long; calyx pilose, the teeth subequal 6. V. grandiflora,

9b. Pod with long, stiff hairs, pustulate at the base;

flowers (1.5) 2 to 2.7 cm. long; calyx glabrous

or nearly so, the lower teeth nearly equaling to

much longer than the tube, 2 to 3 times as long

as the upper 7. F. lutea.

8b. Calyx-teeth and tube subequal ; flowers 1 to 3 cm.

long, purple to whitish or ochroleucous.

10a. Standard glabrous on the back; calyx-teeth

lanceolate.

11a. Pod pale brown at maturity; flowers 1.8 to

3 cm. long ; leaflets chiefly oblong to obovate ;

nectaries on calyx-teeth conspicuous, yellowish brown 8. V. sativa,

lib. Pod almost black at maturity; flowers 1 to

1.8 cm. long; leaflets chiefly linear (except in

var. segetalis) ; nectaries on calyx-teeth usually inconspicuous, pale-stramineous.

9. F. angustifolia,

10b. Standard densely appressed-villous on the

back; calyx-teeth subulate 10. F. pannonica.

6b. Calyx-teeth very unequal, the upper two short-triangular, less than half as long as the tube.

12a. Leaflets mostly 4 to 10 pairs; flowers 8 to 15 mm.

long, deep blue, purple-striped; pod stipitate, 18 to

35 mm. long; seeds globose; perennial 11. F. septum,

12b. Leaflets 1 to 3 pairs; flowers 15 to 25 mm. long,

purple; pod sessile, 40 to 70 mm. long; seeds subglobose or compressed-orbicular; annual.

12. F. narhonen^sis.

5b. Peduncle well-developed, nearly equaling to much exceeding the leaflets; flowers 1 to many.

13a. Corolla 2 to 9 mm. long ; racemes 2- to 8 ( 13) -flowered,

or flowers solitary.

14a. Leaflets (4 to 6) broadly elliptic to oval or oblanceolate; pods short (10 to 13 mm.), 1- to 2-

seeded; native to Florida 13. F. floridana.
AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 168, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

14b. Leaflets either linear to elliptic-oblong or, if

broader, pods longer, more than 2-seeded.

15a. Corolla '2 to 6 mm. long; pods 6 to 20 mm. long,

1- to 4-seeded; plant annual.

16a. Pedmicle 8- to 13-flowered; calyx-lobes less

than half the length of the tube; pod 20 mm.

long, 1-seeded; native to Georgia, Alabama,

and South Carolina 14. F. hugeri.

16b. Peduncle 1- to 8-flowered; calyx-lobes half the

length of the tube or longer; pod 6 to 16 mm.

long, 2- to 4-seeded.

I7a. Calyx-lobes equal or nearly so; pod pubescent, 6 to 10 mm. long; peduncle 3- to 8-

flowered 15. T". hirsuta,

17b. Calyx-lobes unequal : pod glabrous, 10 to 16

mm. long; peduncle 1- to 6-floAyered.

18a. Peduncle 2- to 6-floAvered ; leaflets 12 to 20 ;

pod oblique at the tip, 2-seeded_ 16. T". disperma,

18b. Peduncle 1- to 2-flowered; leaflets 4 to

10; pod evenly rounded at the tip, 4-

seeded 17. F. tetraspeimm.

15b. Corolla 5 to 9 mm. long; pods (15) 20 to 40 mm.

long, 4- to 8-seeded; plant perennial or winter

annual.

19a. Leaflets 2 to 6; corolla 7 to 9 mm. long.

20a. Calyx-lobes minute, much less than half the

length of the tube; peduncles 4- to 10-flowered ; plant glabrous or nearly so ; southeastern United States 18. F. acutifoJm.

20b. Calyx-lobes equaling the tube; peduncles 1-

to 2-flowered; plant villous; southwestern

United States 19. F. levrophaea.
VETCHES EST THE UNITED STATES 5

19b. Leaflets 3 to 12; corolla 5 to 7 mm. long; calyxlobes half the length of the tube or longer.

21a. Peduncles 1- to i^-flowered; calyx-lobes equal

or subequal, shorter than or equaling tube.

22a. Calyx-lobes deltoid, 0.5 to 1 mm. long,

much shorter than the tube; plant slender;

peduncles in fruit 2 cm. long; stipules

moderately unequal; Florida to Texas,

Missouri, and Tennessee 20. V. miinitlflora,

22b. Calyx-lobes lanceolate, 2 mm. long, equaling the tube; plant mucli more robust and

more pubescent (especially calyx and

pod) ; peduncles in fruit 3 cm. long;

stipules strikingly unequal; Texas and

Oklahoma 21. F. rererclionii,

21b. Peduncles (1)3- to 12-flowered; calyx-lobes

miequal or subequal, lance-subulate, the

longer equaling or exceeding the tube.

23a. Peduncles (2)5- to 12-flowered, at anthesis

more than half the length of the leaves;

calyx-lobes markedly unequal, only the

lower as long as the tube; flowers broad

and showy 22. V. ludoviciana.

23b. Peduncles 1- to 4(5)-flowered, at anthesis

half the length of the leaves or less ; flowers narrow, rather inconspicuous.

24a. Corolla 4.5 to 7 mm. long; upper calyxteeth not appreciably shorter or broader

at the base than the lower; pedimcles (1)

2- to 5-flowered 23. F. Jeavenworthii

24b. Corolla 6 to 9 mm. long; upper calyxteeth much shorter and broader at the

base than the lower; peduncles 1- to 2-

flowered 24. F. exigua.
6 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 168, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

i:^l). Corolla more than Í) mm. long or else racemes (3)10-

to 40-flowerecl.

i^r>a. Flowers 5 to 7 mm. long; Xew Mexico and Arizona 25. V, j)vh'li€l.la,

^^{51). Flowers S to IT) mm. long.

l^()a. Stipnles dissimilar, one entire, sessile, the other

laciniate, petioled; peduncles 1-flowered.

26. T". nrticuJafd.

'li\h. Stipules alike; ]:>edunrles '1- to many-flowered.

27a. ^Tature inflorescences eíjualing or exceeding the

subtending leaves, many-flowered; flowers 0.8

to 1.5 cm. long.

28a. Flowers 8 to 12 mm. long, scattered in loose

racemes; calyx-teeth deltoid, subequal ;

corolla white, the keel blue-tipped.

27. v. ruiroliriiana.

28b. Flowers 10 to 15 mm. long, overlapping in

dense racemes; at least the lower calyx-teeth

lance-attenuate to subulate; corolla blue, violet or violet and white.

29a. Calyx strongly gibbous at the base, the

pedicel appearing ventral; lower calyxteeth linear-acicular; blade of standard

less than half as long as the claw; hilum

% of the circumference of the seed or less ;

annual or biennial.

30a. R a c e m e spreading-villous ; lowest

calyx-lobe long villous, 2 to 5 mm.

long 28. r. vUlosa.

30b. Raceme appressed-pilose ; lowest calyxlobe short-pubescent to glabrescent, 1 to

2(2.5) mm. long 20. Y, dasycarpa.

29b. Calyx slightly, if at all, gibbous at the

base, the pedicel basal; lower calyx-teeth

lance-attenuate; blade of standard equaling or exceeding the claw^ ; hilum i/o to %

of the circumference of the seed; perennial.
VETCHES IN THE UNITED STATES 7

31a. Blade of standard as long as tlie

claw 30. F. cracca,

31b. Blade of standard twice as long as tlie

claw 31. r. tenuifolia.

27b. Mature inflorescence shorter than the subtending leaves, 2- to 12-flowered; flowers (1.2)1.5

to 2 cm. long.

32a. Flowers yellowish, tinged with red or brown,

or purple-red fading to dark purple.

33a. Leaflets 18 to 26; leaves and stems glabrous to weakly pubescent; pods glabrous;

whole plant usually turning black in

drying; native perennial (California to

Alaska) 32. V, gigantea.

33b. Leaflets 10 to 16; leaves and stems silkyvillous; pods pubescent; plant not turning

black in drying; introduced annual (naturalized in California) 33. F. henghalen^ns.

32b. Flowers lavender, violet or bluish purple;

leaflets 8 to 18.

34a. Peduncles 1- to 2-flowered; pod 40 by 10

mm.; cultivated annual 34. T''. monantha,

34b. Peduncles 3- to 9-flowered; pod 25 by 7

mm. ; native perennial 35. F. americana.
8 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 168, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

FIGURE 1.—Bitter vetch (Vicia crrilia).

(From Guinea, Estudio Botánico de las Vezas y Arvejas Esi)añolas.)
VETCHES IN THE UNITED STATES 9

1. Vicia ervilia (L.) Willd. BITTER VETCH.

(Fig. 1.)

Vicia ervilia (L.) Willd., Sp. PI. 3: 1103. 1803.

Ervum ervilia L., Sp. PI. 738. 1753.

Erect, glabrate annual, 2 to 7 dm. high; leaves elongate, v^ithout tendrils, the rachis terminating in a point ;

leaflets 14 to 30, linear or linear-oblong, 4 to 15 mm. long,

1 to 4 mm. v^ide, the apex rounded or shallowly emarginate, entire; stipules small, acuminate, semihastate and

more or less dentate; racemes 1- to 4-flowered, much

shorter (1.5 to 4 cm. long) than the subtending leaves;

flowers 7 to 9 mm. long, pale rose-colored to whitish with

violet veins, nodding on short pedicels; calyx campanulate, the teeth acicular, somewhat longer than the tube;

pod nearly moniliform, 15 to 25 mm. long, 4 to 5 mm.

wide, 3- to 4-seeded; seeds triangular-globose, pale maroon to reddish gray, 3.5 to 5.5 mm. in diameter, hilum

small, about Yio the circumference of the seed.

Southern Europe. Cultivated in the Pacific Northwest ; produces heavy seed crops ; used for stock feed.

515579 O—GO-
10 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 16 8, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

FioruE 2.—Broad beau iMcia faha).

(From Hegi, Illustrierte Flora von Mitteleuropa, Carl Häuser A'erlag, Munich.
VETCHES IN THE UNITED STATES 11

2. Vicia faba L. BROAD BEAN ( HORSE BEAN).

(Fig. 2.)

Vicia faba L., Sp. PI. 737. 1753.

Coarse, erect, glabrous, very leafy annual, 5 to 20 dm.

high; leaves fleshy, glaucous, turning black in drying,

without tendrils; leaflets 2 to 6, oval, 4 to 10 cm. long,

1 to 3 cm. wide, obtuse, apiculate ; stipules large, semisagittate, entire or shallowly dentate; racemes 2- to 4-

flowered, very short-peduncled; flowers large (2 to 3 cm.

long), white blotched with deep maroon or blackish violet; pod large (8 to 20 cm. long, 1 to 3 cm. wide), plump,

2- to 4-seeded; seeds usually large (12 to 35 mm. in diameter) and strongly compressed, but in some races nearly

globose and al)out 7 to 9 mm. in diameter, red-brown,

purplish, greenish or black, sometimes spotted with gray ;

the hilum large, terminal, blackish, about % to % the

circumference of the seed.

Northern Africa and southwestern Asia. Cultivated

for its seed which is used as a vegetable; the smallseeded varieties are used mainly for stock feed or sometimes for green manure.
12 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 168, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

FIGURE 3.—Broad-leaved vetch {Vicia orohoides).

(From Hegi, Illustrierte Flora von Mitteleuropa, Carl Häuser Verlag, Munich.)
VETCHES IN THE UNITED STATES 13

3. Vicia oroboides Wulfen BROAD-LEAVEJ > VETCH.

(Fig. 3)

Vicia oroboides Wulfen, in Jacq. Coll. 4:323. 1790.

Orbits lathyroides Sibtli. & Smith, Fl. Graee. Prod.

2: 63. 1806.

Erect, mostly simple, glabrous or somewhat pubescent

perennial, 2.5 to 5 dm. high; leaves with (2) 4 to 7 leaflets, without tendrils, the rachis prolonged as a bristle;

petioles 0.3 to 3 em. long; leaflets very large, 4 to 7 cm.

long, 3 to 4.5 cm. wide, ovate-lanceolate, the margins usually short-ciliate ; stipules small, narrow, semisagittate ;

racemes short-peduncled, 3- to 8-flowered; flowers yellowish white to pale yellow, 14 to 19 mm. long; calyx oblique,

campanulate, gibbous at the base, th(^ spreading-reflexed

teeth lanceolate, 3 to 6 mm. long (occasionally rudimentary), about equaling the tube in length; pods divaricate,

linear-oblong, 3 to 4 cm. long, 7 to 9 mm. wide, glabrous,

l)lack at maturity; seeds ovoid or globose, reddish brown,

sometimes mottled with purplish, 3 to 3.5 mm. in diameter, the hilum about % the circumference of the seed.

Southeastern Europe ; said to be cultivated as an ornamental (L. H. Bailey), although all material seen from

American gardens under this name has been F. unijuga.
14 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 168, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

FIGURE 4._Two.leaved vetch (VMa nn ijiiffo ).
VETCHES IN THE UNITED STATES 15

4. Vicia unijuga A. Br. TAVO-LEAVED VETCH.

(Fig. 4)

Vicia unijuga A. Br; Ann. Sei. Nat, Bot. Ser. 4, 1:366.

1854.

Orobits lathyroides L., Sp. PI. 728. 1753, not Vicia

latliyroides L., I.e. 726.

Glabreseent perennial; stems erect-ascending, 5 to 10

dm. high; leaves short-petioled, bearing two sessile leaflets, without tendrils; leaflets large, thick-chartaceous;

oblong oval to broadly ovate-lanceolate, 2.5 to 8 cm. long,

0.7 to 3 cm. wide, acute to abruptly obtuse, mucronate;

stipules dentate, extremely varial^le in size and shape,

usually large, broadly semihastate; racemes 2- to 40-

ñowered, secund ; flowers 10 to 14 mm. long, purple ; calyx

oblique-campanulate, gibbous at the base, the teeth shorttriangular or the lowest sometimes prolonged acicular,

0.5 to 1 mm. long, sharply acute to blunt; pod stipitate,

elliptic-lanceolate, 1.8 to 2.75 cm. long, 5 mm. wide, glabrous, pale brown, few-seeded; seeds subglobose, ellipticoblong, about 3 to 4.5 mm. in diameter, reddish brown to

velvety black, obscurely mottled with purple, the hilum

black, encircling nearly half of the seed.

Eastern Siberia, Manchuria, China, Japan. Cultivated for forage.
16 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 168, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

FIGURE 5.—Spring vetch {Vicia lathyroides).

(From Guinea, Estudio Botánico de las Vezas y Arvejas Españolas.)
VETCHES IN THE UNITED STATES 17

5. Vicia lathyroides L. SPRING VETCH.

(Fig. 5.)

Vicia lathyroides L., Sp. PI. 736. 1753.

Low, slender annual or winter annual ; stems reclining

to erect, 5 to 25 cm. long; ]eavt\s small, terminated by

an usually undivided tendril; leaflets 4 to 8, narrowly

obovate to elliptic-linear, 2 to 15 mm. long, generally

apiculate; stipules semisagittate, entire; flowers solitary

(rarely paired), subsessile in the axils of the leaves, 5

to 8 mm. long, violet fading to white; calyx-teeth lanceolate-subulate, about equaling the obconic tube; pod

somewhat compressed, linear, 1.5 to 3 cm. long, 3 to 4 mm.

wide, more or less divaricate, glabrous, 6- to 7-seeded;

seeds quadrate, verrucose, 1.5 to 2 mm. in diameter, reddish maroon, grayish brown or blackish, hilum minute.

Europe; locally adventive in sandy grassland, on edges

of fields and sandy beaches from Nantucket Island, ]\Iassachusetts, to Virginia and North Carolina.

515579 O—60
18 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 16 8, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

FIGURE 6.—Bigflower A^etch (Vici<i grandiflora var. kitaiheliana).

(From Hegi, Illustrierte Flora von Mitteleuropa, Carl Häuser Verlag, Munich.)
VETCHES IN THE UNITED STATES 19

6. Vicia grandiflora var. kitaibeliana W. Koch

BlGFLOW'ER VETCH.

(Fig. 6.)

Vicia grandiflora Scop. var. kitaibeliana W. Koch., Syn.

ed. 1. 197. 1835.

V. sórdida Waldst. & Kit., PL Rar. Hung. 2:143.

1805.

t)'

V. grandifora var. sórdida (Walclst. & Kit.) Griseb.,

Spie. Fl. Rum. Bith. 1: 78. 1843.

Annual; stems slender, aseendins', u]) to 6 dm. lon^',

spreading jnibescent to glabrate; leaves with 6 to 14 leaflets and slender, branched tendrils; leaflets oblong to

linear, 1 to 2 cm. long; stipules semisagittate; flowers

1 or 2, subsessile, 2.5 to 3.5 cm. long, yellow or yellowish

often suffused or marked with violet ; calyx-tube sparsely

pilose, 6 to 9 mm. long, the subequal, linear-sul)ulate teeth

pilose, half to two-thirds as long as the tube; pod compressed, glabrous or glabrate, 3.5 to 5 cm. long, becoming

black ; seeds compressed-globose, 3 to 3.5 mm. long, brown

with indistinct black spots, the hilum raised, white, encircling % of the seed.

Southwestern Europe and western Asia. Naturalized

along roadsides, in open woods and cultivated fields, Delaware to Alabama and Mississippi. The typical form

of the species (F. grandiflora Scop., Fl. Carn. ed 2, 2: 65.

1772) has ovate to obcordate, rather than oblong to linear,

leaflets, and evidently does not occur in America (cf.

L. Shinners, Castanea 21:151. 1956).
20 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 168, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

FIGURE 7.—Yellow vetch {Vida lútea).

(From Guinea, Estudio Botánico de las Vezas y Arvejas Españolas.)
VETCHES IN THE UNITED STATES 21

7. Vicia lútea L. YELLOW VETCH.

(Fig. 7)

Vicia lútea L., Sp. PL 736. 1753.

F. liirta Balb. in Pers., Synop. 2: 308. 1807.

V. lutea var. Jiirta (Balb.) Loisel., Fl. Gal. 462.

1807.

V. lutea var. muricata Ser. in DC, Prodr. 2:363.

1825.

V. lutea subsp. muricata (Ser.) E. Guinea, Estud.

Bot. de las Vezas y Arvejas Españolas, 57. 1953.

Glabrous to sparingly hirsute annual; stems diffuse

and more or less climbing, 2 to 6 dm. long ; leaves mostly

sessile, with 6 to 16 leaflets and terminated by forking

(the lower usually simple) tendrils ; leaflets of the upper

leaves lanceolate-linear to oblong, their apices from

rounded to attenuate and mucronate, about 2 cm. long

by 3.5 mm. wide, those of the lower leaves more or less

obovate, 5 to 10 nmi. long; stipules minute, from ovatetriangular to semisagittate or bilobed, the lower surface

of one bearing a large purplish nectary; flowers usually

solitary, sometimes 2 or 3, in the axils of the leaves, shortpedicelled, 2 to 2.7 cm. long, pale citron-yellow to bright

yellow, sometimes lightly tinged with violet; calyx campanulate, very oblique, glabrous (the teeth sometimes

sparsely pilose) the lowermost tooth exceeding the tube

and 2 to 3 times the length of the upper teeth; pod oblong, stipitate, somewhat flattened, 2.5 to 3 cm. long, 7 to

10 mm. wide, maroon-olive to black at maturity, pustulate-hirsute ; seeds somewhat compressed-globose, 3 mm.

in diameter, blackish and more or less mottled or velvety

to completely black ; hilum linear, whitish, encircling % to

Vs of the seed.

Central and southern Europe ; western Asia and northem Africa. Locally established as a roadside weed in

Marin County, California. (J. T. Howell: Marin Flora,

178. Univ. of Calif. Press, Berkeley, 1959.)
22 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 168, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

FIGURE 8.—Common vetch {Vicia sativa).

(From Guinea, Estudio Botánico de las Vezas y Arvejas Españolas.)
VETCHES IN THE UNITED STATES 23

8. Vicia sativa L. COMMON VETCH (SPRING VETCH).

(Fig. 8)

Vicia sativa L., Sp. PL 736. 1753.

Glabrescent annual; stems slender, angled, simple or

branched below, up to a meter long, erect-ascending or

climbing; leaves with 8 to 16 leaflets terminating in a

branched tendril; leaflets oblong to elliptic or obovate,

1.5 to 3.5 cm. long, 5 to 15 mm. wide, truncate to emarginate and mucronate at the apex; stipules semisagittate,

usually sharply serrate, the lower surface bearing a

purplish nectary; flowers mostly paired in the upper

axils, subsessile, 1.8 to 3 cm. long, violet-jDurple or rarely

white; calyx 10 to 15 mm. long, the tube campanulate,

5 to 7 mm. long, the teeth subequal, linear-subulate, 3 to

9 mm. long, the three lower ones bearing a conspicuous

yellowish-brown nectary on the outer face; pod nearly

cylindrical to somewhat compressed, torulose, 2.5 to 7

cm. long, 5 to 8 mm. wide, brown, 4- to 12-seeded; seeds

globose or somewhat compressed, 3 to 5 mm. in diameter,

smooth, dull or velvety, greenish gray to maroon or black,

rarely yellowish white ; hilum narrow, encircling % to Vs

of the seed.

Europe. Cultivated for forage; sometimes escaped

along roadsides and in waste places from Newfoundland

to Minnesota, south to Georgia and California, but frequent only on the west coast, especially in California.

Most herbarium material of naturalized plants referred

to this species is V. angiistifoUa,

8a. Vicia sativa var. linearis Lange

Vicia sativa var. linearis Lange, in Meddel. Kjöb. And.

Act. 7:184. 1865.

Leaflets of the upper leaves linear and emarginate or

apiculate.

Introduced from Europe. Locally escaped in old fields

and waste places from Quebec to Virginia and westward.
24 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 168, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

FIGURE 9.—Narrow-leaved vetch (Vicia angustifolia).

( From (Tiiinea, Estudio Botánico de las Vezas y xVrvejas Españolas.)
VETCHES IN THE UNITED STATES 25

9. Vicia angustifolia L. NARROW-LEAVED VETCH.

(Fig. 9)

Vicia angustifolia L., Amoen. Acad. 4: 105. 1759.

V. sativa ß angustifolia Wahlenb., Fl. Carp. 218.

1814.

Glabrous or glabrate annual ; stems decumbent, ascending, angular, 1 to 6 dm. long, usually branched only at

the base; leaves with usually 4 to 10 (rarely 12) leaflets,

those of the lower leaves oblong and truncate, of the

upper linear to narrowly elliptic, or lance-attenuate, 1.5

to 3 cm. long, 1 to 4 mm. wide; stipules semisagittate,

serrate or the upper entire, often lacking a nectary;

flowers commonly paired in the upper axils, 1 to 1.8 cm.

long, blue or violet varying to white; calyx 7 to 11 mm.

long, the tube campanulate, 4 to 6 mm. long, the teeth

linear-lanceolate, about equal, 3 to 6 mm. long, the three

lower ones bearing a usually inconspicuous pale-stramineous nectary on the outer face; pod very dark brown

to almost black at maturity, terete ; seeds similar to those

of F. sativa.

Europe. Cultivated for forage and commonly naturalized in the United States in waste ground, along roadsides, etc., but occurring mostly as a weed, especially in

grainfields, from Maine to Florida, west to Washington

and California.

9a. Vicia angustifolia var. segetalis (Thuill.) Koch

Vicia aîigustifolia var. segetalis (Thuill.) Koch, Syn. 197.

1835.

Leaflets of the upper leaves oblong to oblong-obovate,

2 to 9 mm. wide, the apex truncate or emarginate and

mucronate.

Europe. Range of the typical form in the United

States.

515579 O—60-
26 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 168, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

FIGURE 10.—Hungarian vetch {Vicia pannonica).

(From Guinea, Estudio Botánico de las Vezas y Arvejas Españolas.)
VETCHES IN THE UNITED STATES 27

9b. Vicia angustifolia var. uncinata (Desv.) Rouy

Vicia angustífolia var. unciyiata (Desv.) Rouy in Rouy &

Foucoud, Fl. France 5: 213. 1900.

Leaflets of the upper leaves narrowly linear, 1 to 2

mm. wide, the apex truncate or abruptly narrowed.

Europe. Locally naturalized, Newfoundland to Virginia.

10. Vicia pannonica Crantz HUNGARIAN VETCH.

(Fig. 10.)

Vicia pannonica Crantz, Strip. Austr., ed. 2, fase. 5:393.

1769.

Pilose to villous annual ; stems reclining, erect or climbing, 3 to 8 dm. long; leaves short-pedicelled to subsessile,

5 to 8 cm. long, soft villous, with 10 to 20 leaflets, terminating in a branched to simple or rudimentary tendril;

leaflets linear to obovate but chiefly oblong-elliptic, 10 to

20 mm. long, 2 to 6 mm. wide, the apex rounded or truncate to emarginate, mucronate; stipules minute, ovatelanceolate to semisagittate, entire, acute, bearing a large

purplish nectary on the lower surface; racemes 2- to 4-

flowered, nearly sessile in the upper axils; flowers rather

large, 15 to 18 mm. long, ochroleucous or purplish tinged,

the standard finely streaked with reddish purple, villous

on the back; calyx tubular-campanulate, 9 to 11 mm.

long, oblique at the base, densely villous, the teeth linearsubulate, subequal but the lower noticeably longer than

the upper and equaling the tube; pod oblong, 20 to 30

mm. long, 7 to 10 mm. wide, stipitate, purplish, silkyvillous, 2- to 8-seeded; seeds more or less globose to

strongly flattened, purplish, sometimes spotted with black,

rough-velvety, the hilum linear, whitish, encircling %

to 1/4 of the seed.

Central Europe. Cultivated in the Pacific Northwest,

especially western Oregon, for hay, silage, green manure,

pasture and as a seed crop; established in waste ground

in the Willamette Valley, Oreg., and Sonoma County, Calif.
28 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 168, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

FIGURE 11.—Hedge vetch {Vicia sepium).

(From Guinea, Estudio Botánico de las Vezas y Arvejas Españolas.)
VETCHES IN THE UNITED STATES 29

11. Vicia sepium L. HELX^E VETCH.

(Fig. 11.)

Vicia sepium L., Sp. PL 737. 1753.

Pilose or glabrate perennial with long, slender, tuberbearing stolons ; stems angular, branched, erect or climbing, 3 to 10 dm. long ; leaves with 8 to 16 subsessile leaflets, terminating in a branched tendril; leaflets oval or

ovate-oblong (rarely narrowly elliptic), 8 to 25 mm. long,

5 to 12 mm. wide, rounded at the base, the apex obtuse

and mucronate or emarginate; stipules very small, semisagittate to ovate, more or less dentate and bearing a

concave nectary on the lower surface; flowers 2 to 6 in

subsessile axillary clusters, short-pedicelled, 8 to 15 mm.

long, reddish violet to violet-blue, deep blue or rarely

white, the standard striped with deep purple; calyx irregular, the tube short, 4 to 5 mm. long, more or less

brown-villous, the teeth very unequal, the upper short

and triangular, the lower about half as long as the tube;

pod linear, 18 to 35 mm. long, 6 to 8 mm. wide, stipitate,

compressed, glabrescent, black at maturity, 3- to 6-seeded ;

seeds globose, somewhat compressed, 3 to 4 mm. in diameter, yellowish, reddish, gray or greenish gray with blackish spots to entirely black, the hilum encircling ^/^ to %

of the seed.

Europe. Locally naturalized in old fields and along

roadsides, Newfoundland to Ontario, south to New Brunswick and northern New England.

11a. Vicia sepium var. montana Koch

Vicia sepium var. montana Koch, Syn. 196. 1835.

Leaflets elliptic-lanceolate to narrowly ovate, the apex

acute.

Europe. Locally naturalized in Quebec and Maine.
30 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 168, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

FIGURE 12.—Xarbonne vetch ( Vicia narhoncn^is, on left, and forma serratifolia,

on right).

(From Hegi, Illustrierte Flora von Mitteleuropa, Carl Häuser Verlag, Munich.)
VETCHES IN THE UNITED STATES 31

12. Vicia narbonensis L. NARBONNE VETCH.

(Fig. 12.)

Vicia narbonensis L., Sp. PI. 737. 1753.

Coarse, pubescent or glabrate annual; stems erect, 4-

angled, 3 to 6 dm. high ; leaves ample, with 2 to 6 leaflets,

the upper terminating in a usually forked tendril ; leaflets

fleshy, obovate to broadly elliptic, 3 to 6 cm. long, 2 to

3.5 cm. wide, entire; stipules very large, semicordate,

occasionally entire, usually dentate, the upper often bearing a nectary ; flowers 1 to 5, short-pedicelled in the axils,

15 to 25 mm. long, purplish (drying black) ; calyx-teeth

triangular, the lowermost about twice as long as the

upper and equaling the tube; pod sessile, linear-oblong,

40 to 70 mm. long, 10 to 15 mm. wide, plump, the sutures

pectinate with pustulate-based bristles, 4- to 6-seeded;

seeds subglobose or compressed-orbicular, 5 to 6 mm. in

diameter, obscurely velvety in appearance, purplish

violet to black, the hiluni whitish, short, oblong.

Southern Europe. Cultivated for forage, locally established as a weed in Maryland and the District of

Columbia.

12a. Vicia narbonensis f. serratifolia (Jacq.) F. J. Hermann, comb. nov.

Vicia serratifolia Jacq., Fl. Austr. append. 30, t. 8. 1778.

V. narhonensis var. serratifolia (Jacq.) Ser. in DC,

Prodr. 2:365. 1825.

Leaves strongly serrate ; stipules incised-dentate.

Range and occurrence of the typical form.
32 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 168, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

c:% '^'^,

FIGURE 13.—Florida vetch {Mcia floridana).
VETCHES IN THE UNITED STATES 33

13. Vicia floridana S. Wats. FLORIDA VETCH.

(Fig. 13.)

Vicia floridana S. Wats., Amer. Acad. Proc. 14:292.

1879.

Delicate glabrous or glabrate perennial; stems weak,

reclining, simple or sparingly branched, 3 to 8 dm. long;

leaves 3 to 5 cm. long, bearing 4 to 6 leaflets and terminated by very slender tendrils; leaflets thin, broadly elliptic to oblong-oblanceolate, 5 to 15 mm. long, mucronulate ;

peduncles shorter than the subtending leaves, 1- to 5-

flowered, sparingly glandular above; flowers 5 to 6 mm.

long, white or bluish, on pedicels 1 mm. long, calyx more

or less glandular, the tube campanulate, the lobes triangular, much shorter than the tube ; j^ods short, broadly

oblong, oblique-beaked, 1 to 1.3 cm. long, 1- to 2-seeded;

seeds compressed-globose, purplish black, 3 mm. in diameter, the narrow hilum encircling i/o to % of the seed.

In sandy soil, Florida.

515579 O—60-
34 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 168, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

'I'll Í

i

il

I,

àp 'à ms

FIGURE 14.—Vetchling {Yicia huf/cri).
VETCHES IN THE UNITED STATES 35

14. Vicia hugeri Small VETCHLING.

(Pig. 14)

Vicia Jmgeri Small, Torr. Bot. Club Bul. 24:490. 1897.

Very slender, sparsely puberulent or glabrate perennial; stems usually ascending, occasionally decumbent or

reclining, 3 to 7 dm. long, sometimes branched above;

leaves 4 to 8 cm. long, bearing 10 to 20 (average 14)

leaflets and terminated by a simple or forked tendril;

leaflets linear, 2 to 3.5 cm. long, mucronulate, rounded

at the base and short-petioled ; peduncles 5 to 8 cm. long,

(6) 8- to 13-flowered; flowers mostly secund, 5 to 7 mm.

long, white or pale blue, on pedicels 1.5 to 2 mm. long;

calyx campanulate, the lobes triangular, acute, y^ to l^

as long as the tube ; pods oblong, oblique-tipped, 18 to 22

mm. long, 1-seeded; seeds compressed-orbicular, velvety

black, 2.5 to 3 mm. in diameter, the hilum encircling

% of the seed.

Open woods in the Piedmont area—Georgia, Alabama,

and South Carolina.
36 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 16 8, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

FIGURE 15.—Tiny vetch {^'icia hu'suta).

(From Guinea, Estudio Botánico de las Vezas y Arvejas Españolas.)
VETCHES IN THE UNITED STATES 37

15. Vicia hirsuta (L.) S. F. Gray

TINY VETCH ( HAIRY \^TCH).

(Fig. 15)

Vicia hirsuta (L.) S. F. Grav, Nat. Arr. Brit. PI. 2: 614.

1821 ; Koch, Syn. FI. Germ. 191. 1837.

Ervum hirsutum L., Sp. PI. 738. 1753.

Vicia mitcheUi Raf., Prec. Decoiiv. 37. 1814.

Glabrate or sparingly pubescent annual ; stems slender,

tetragonal and striate, usually branched at the base, decumbent or climbing, 2 to 7 dm. Ions*; leaves 2 to 8 cm.

long, sessile, bearing (8) 12 to 16 leaflets and terminating

in a slender, usually forked tendril; leaflets linear, narrowly oblong or narrowly elliptic, 5 to 18 mm. long,

usually truncate or emarginate, mucronate; peduncles

mostly shorter than the subtending leaves, 3- to 5(8)-

flowered; flowers very small, 2 to 4 mm. long, whitish

blue to purplish blue, on pedicels 1 to 2 mm. long; calyx

minutely pubescent, the linear-subulate teeth subequal,

1 to 1.5 mm. long, somewhat longer than the tube; pods

oblong, 6 to 10 nun. long, 3 to 4 mm. wide, oblique at both

ends, hirsute, 2-seeded; seeds subglobose to compressedorbicular, 1.5 to 3 mm. in diameter, greenish strawcolored to pale reddish brown or chestnut, usually more

or less mottled with purple, the hilum encircling about

half the seed.

Europe. Naturalized along roadsides and in fields and

waste places from Quebec to British Columbia, south to

Georgia and California.
38 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 16 8, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

FiGXTRE 16.—Two-seeded vetch {Vicia dispcrma).

(From Guinea, Estudio Botánico de las Vezas y Arvejas Españolas.)
VETCHES IN THE UNITED STATES 39

16. Vicia disperma DC. TA\ O-SEEDED VETCH.

(Fig. 16.)

Vicia disperma DC, Cat. Hort. Monsp. 154. 1813.

Sparsely pubescent annual; stems slender and weak,

angled, climbing, 2 to 6 dm. long; leaves 3 to 6 em. long,

short-petioled, bearing 12 to 20 leaflets and terminating

in a forked tendril; leaflets nant^owlv elliptic to linearoblong, 7 to 12 mm. long, the apex blunt to acute and

mucronulate; stipules small, semisagittate or linearlanceolate, acute, entire; peduncles usually shorter than

the leaves, 2- to 6-flowered, aristate; flowers very small,

4 to 5 nmi. long, blue, short-pedicelled ; calyx-teeth miequal, the upper two short and connivent, the lower

linear-subulate, exceeding the tube; pods small, oblongsubrhomboidal, 12 to 16 mm. long, 5 to 7 mm. wide, glabrous, tawny, short-stipitate, 2-seeded; seeds large, 4 to

4.5 mm. in diameter, compressed-orbicular, purplish

black, the hilum encircling about % of the seed.

Southern Europe. Locally introduced at Berkeley,

California, Coopolis (sic), Mississippi and on ballast at

Mobile, Alabama.
40 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 168, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

FIGURE 17.—Sparrow vetch {Vicia tetraspcrma).

(From Guinea, Estudio Botánico de las Vezas y Arvejas Españolas.)
VETCHES IN THE UNITED STATES 41

17. Vicia tetrasperma (L.) Moench

SPARROW VETCH (SLENDER VETCH; LENTIL TARE).

(Fi.^^ 17.)

Vicia tetrasperma (L.) Moench, Meth. 148. 1794.

Ervum tetrasperm M m L., Sp. PI. 738. 1753.

Delicate annual, glabrous or occasional 1}^ sparsely

pilose ; stems very slender, branched, often matted, decumbent, or climbing, 1 to 5 dm. long; leaves from shorter to

longer than the internodes, bearing 4 to 10(12) leaflets

and terminated by a single or branched tendril ; leaflets

narrowly oblong or prolonged-elliptic, 5 to 20 mm. long,

0.5 to 3 mm. wide, the apex rounded (rarely acute) and

mucronulate ; stii)ules semisagittate, entire ; peduncles

ñliform, longer than the leaflets, when fruiting equaling

the leaves, not aristate, bearing usually 1 to 2 (very

rarely 3 to 4) flowers; flowers lilac veined with purple

to bluish white, 4 to 9 (mostly about 4) mm. long; calyxteeth unequal, the lower lanceolate, about equaling the tube,

the upper triangular, much shorter; pods flat, glabrous,

short, 10 to 15 mm. long, 3 to 5 mm. wide, oblong, subequally rounded from both sutures to the blunt tip, pale

brown, 3 to 6 (usually 4)-seeded; seeds subglobose, from

greenish gray to purplish black, 1.5 to 2 mm. wide, the

linear yellowish hilum encircling ^5 to y^ of the seed.

Eurasia. Xaturalized in fields, waste places and along

roadsides from Newfoundland and Quebec to Ontario,

south to Florida and IMississippi.

ii^nio o—00-
42 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 168, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

FIGURE 18.—Sand vetch {Vicia acutifolia).
VETCHES IN THE UNITED STATES 43

17a. Vicia tetrasperma var. gracilis (Loisel.) Aschers. &

Graebn.

Vicia tetrasperma var. gracilis (Loisel.) Aschers. &

Graebn. Fl. Nordostd. Flachl. 449. 1898.

Vicia gracilis Loisel., Fl. Gall. (ed. 1) 460. 1806.

Ervum tenuissimnm M. Bieb., tab. no. 24, 1798?;

Pers., Syn. 2: 309. 1807.

E. hirsutum ß gracile DC, Prodr. 2: 367. 1825.

Leaflets of the upper leaves usually linear-acuminate,

up to 25 mm. long; racemes 1- to 4-flowered; fruiting

peduncles exceeding the leaves, up to 8 cm. long; flowers

about 8 mm. long ; pods 4- to 6 (8) -seeded.

Southern and western Europe. Locally naturalized in

New England, New York, and Oregon.

18. Vicia acutifolia Ell."" SAND VETCH.

(Fig. 18)

Vicia acutifolia Ell., Sketch 2: 225. 1824.

Glabrous or glabrate i:)erennial; stems branched at the

base, the branches 5 to 12 dm. long, spreading or climbing; leaves 2 to 6 cm. long, bearing usually 4 (2 to 6)

leaflets, terminated l)y a simple or branched tendril ; leaflets linear to linear-oblong, 1.5 to 4 cm. long, acute or

mucronate, narrowed at the base; peduncles longer than

the leaves, 4- to 10-flowered; flowers 7 to 8 mm. long, pale

blue, the standard purple-tipped, on pedicels 1 to 2 mm.

long; calyx often minutely pubescent, the tube oblique,

the teeth triangular, unequal, the lower longer than the

*An additional native vetch, Vicia ocalensis Godfrey & Krai

(Rhodora 60: 256. 1958), was described after the present account

went to press. It is known only from Marion County, Florida, and

resembles a robust Yida acutifolia; butthe leaflets are mostly 6 instead

of 4 in number, 3 to 1 mm. in width rather tlian 1 to 2 mm. ; the flowers

are 9 to 12 mm. long rather than 7 to 8 mm. ; and the pods are 4 to

4.5 cm. long and 7 to 8 mm. wide instead of 2.3 to 2.5 cm. long and

5 mm. wide.
44 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 16 8, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

m. •• ••

^•v^ 4L.« . J

FIGURE 19.—Mogollón vetch {Vicia leucophaea).
VETCHES IN THE UNITED STATES 45

upper but shorter than the tube; pods stipitate, linearoblong, obliqne and acute at both ends, 2.3 to 2.5 cm. long,

4- to 8-seeded; seeds compressed-orbicular, 2 to 2.5 mm.

in diameter, purplish black, the hilum encircling % of

the seed.

In sandy soil, low calcareous hammocks, swamps, and

ditches, mostly near the coast in Georgia, Florida, and

Alabama.

19. Vicia leucophaea Greene MOGOLLóN ^TETCH.

(Fig. 19)

Vicia leucophaea Greene, Bot. Gaz. 6: 217. 1881.

Villous perennial ; stems quadrangular, 3 to 8 dm. long,

usually branched at the base, erect, reclining or climbing ;

leaves short, 1.5 to 4 cm. long, short-petioled, l)earing 6

(rarely 8) leaflets and terminated by a usually simple

tendril ; leaflets linear-lanceolate to elliptic-oblong, 7 to 20

mm. long, 1 to 3 mm. wide (those of the basal leaves

sometimes obovate and truncate, up to 6 nun. wide), the

apex mostly rounded and mucronulate, sometimes acute ;

stipules semisagittate, the upper lanceolate; peduncles

slender, about equaling the leaves, 1- to 2-flowered;

flowers whitish, the veins of the standard and tips of the

keel purple, 7 to 9 mm. long, appearing from July to

September; calyx campanulate, villous, the tube about

2.5 mm. long, the teeth subequal, lanceolate, spreading,

about 3 mm. long; pods sessile, 2.5 to 4 cm. long, lanceolate-oblong, appressed-villous, 6- to 9-seeded ; seeds compressed-orbicular, 2.5 mm. in diameter, reddish brown,

the hiliun encircling about 1/4 ^f the seed.

Southwestern ISTew Mexico and southeastern Arizona,

chiefly in the mountains (Transition Zone).
46 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 168, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

FIGURE 20.—Pygmy-flowered vetch {Vicia rninntiflora). Map shows range of

V. minutiflora (•) and V. reverchonii {Q).
VETCHES IN THE UNITED STATES 47

20. Vicia minutiflora Dietr. PYGMY-FLOWERED VETCH.

(Fig. 20)

Vicia miniififlora Dietr., Syn. PL 4:1107. 1847.

V. micrantlia Niitt. ex Torr. & Gray, Fl. N. Amer.

2:271. 1838, not Lowe, Cambridge Phil. Soe.

Trans. 4:33. 1831, nor Hook. & Arn., Bot. Misc.

4:197. 1833.

Glabrate or minutely pubescent winter annual, perhaps

becoming perennial in the South ; stems slender, branched,

reclining or climbing, 3 to 8 dm. long; leaves relatively

few and distant, 2 to 6 cm. long, bearing 4 to 6 leaflets

and terminated by a simple or branched tendril ; leaflets

linear-elongate to narrowly oblong, 1 to 3.5 cm. long

(those of the lower leaves sometimes obovate and 5 to 12

mm. long), the apex acute to rounded and mucronulate;

stipules semisagittate, the upper lanceolate, subequal or

one of the pair \\\) to twice as broad as the other; peduncles shorter than the leaves, 5 to 20 mm. long, 1-

(rarely 2-) flowered (the flower terminal when solitary),

usually rigid and ascending-divaricate; flowers pale blue

or purplish white, 5 to 6 (8) mm. long; calyx sparsely

villous, the tube 1.5 to 2 mm. long, the teeth triangular,

1 to 1.5 mm. long, much shorter than the tube, subequal,

the upper usually somewhat shorter and broader; pods

flat, glabrous, narrowly oblong-falcate, 2 to 3 cm. long,

4 to 4.5 mm. wide, 4 to 12 (usually 6 to 8) seeded; seeds

subglobose, 2 mm. in diameter, blackish purple, the hilum

encircling % of the seed.

Woods, thickets, and river banks, Florida to Texas,

north to Temiessee and Missouri.
48 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 168, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

^y^n^'

FIGURE 21.—Reverchon vetch (Vicia revcrchonii).
VETCHES IN THE UNITED STATES 49

21. Vicia reverchonii S. Wats. REVERCHON VETCH.

(Figs. 20 (ma.])), 21)

Vicia reverchomi S. Wats., Amer. Acacl. Proe. 14:29.

1879.

V. minutiflora f. revcrdionii (S. Wats.) Shinners,

Field & Lab. 16:21. 1948.

Low, spreading-pubeseent, stoutish winter aiiiuial ( 0 ^

stems branched at the base, the braiieh(\s ascending, d(^-

ciinibent or reclining, 2 to 4 dm. long; leaves nnmerons,

1.5 to 5 cm. long, snbsessile to short-petioled, bearing (4)

6 to 10 leaflets, terminating in a simple or branched t(^ndril; leaflets elliptic to broadly oblong-cnneate or obovate,

5 to 17 mm. long, 3 to 7 mm. wide, more or less villous

on both surfaces, the aj^ex from rounded and mucronulate to tnmcate-emarginate ; stipules very unecjual, one

of the pair broadly semisagittate and often 4 times as

broad as the other which is lanceolate or veiy^ narrowly

semisagittate; peduncles stout, equaling or shorter than

the leaves, 5 to 35 nmi. long, 1-flowered; flowers blue or

bluish, 5 to 7 nun. long; calyx villous, the tube 2 mm.

long, the teeth lanceolate, equal, 2 mm. long, equaling

the tube; pods flat, appressed-villous, oblong-falcate, 2.5

to 3 cm. long, 4.5 to 5 nun. wide, 4- to 6-seeded; seeds

globose, 2 mm. in diameter, purplish brown mottled with

purplish black, the hilum encircling about % of the seed.

Sandy prairies ; known only from the vicinity of Dallas,

Texas, and Wewoka, Oklahoma (both localities between

96° and 97° longitude).
50 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 168, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

S%

FIGURE 22.—Deerpea vetch {Vicia ludoviciana). Map shows range of

V. ludoviciana ( • ) ; var. laxiflora (O) ; and var. tcxaria ( X )•
VETCHES IN THE UNITED STATES 51

22. Vicia ludoviciana Nutt. DEERPEA VETCH.

(Fig. 22)

Vicia ludoviciana Niitt., in Torr. & Gray, Fl. N. Amer.

1:271. 1838.

Rather stout to slender, glabrous winter annual ; steins

angled, branched at the base, decumbent or climbing,

3 to 10 dm. long; leaves 3 to 9 cm. long, bearing 6 to 12

leaflets, the rachis terminating in a usually forked

tendril; leaflets linear-oblong or elliptic to oval, 6 to 25

mm. long, the apex rounded or emarginate, sometimes

mucronulate ; stipules semisagittate, usually more or less

unequal; peduncles shorter than to exceeding the leaves,

2 to 4 cm. long, bearing 2 to 12 flowers ; flowers lavenderblue, 5 to 8 mm. long, the folded standard 2.5 to 4 mm.

high in the typical form ; calyx somewhat pilose, the tube

1 to 2 mm. long, the teeth unequal, the lower subulate

and equaling the tube, the upper shorter and broader;

pods flat, glabrous, oblong, oblique at both ends, 2 to 3

cm. long, 4- to 8-seeded; seed subglobose to compressedsuborbicular, 2.2 to 2.5 mm. in diameter, brownish gray

mottled with dark purple, the hilum encircling 14 to %

of the seed.

Thickets, rich woods and sandy pine lands, Florida

to Texas, north to southwestern Missouri, Oklahoma, and

New Mexico.

Two varieties, generally poorly marked because of the

preponderance of intermediate forms, have been designated as follows :
52 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 168, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

22a. Vicia ludoviciana var. texana (Torr. & Gray)

Shinners

Vicia ludoviciana var. texana (Torr. & Gray) Shinners,

Field (t Lab. 16:23. 1948.

V. caroliniana var. texana Torr. & Gray, Fl. N.

Amer. 1:271. 1838.

V. texana (Torr, ik Gray) Small, Fl. Southeastern

U.S. 656, 1332. 1903.

Smaller and more delicate, sparingly pubescent to

nearly glabrous; peduncles very slender; racemes generally compactly but few (1 to 6)-flowered; flowers

5 to 6.5 mm. long, the folded standard 1.8 to 2.5 mm.

high.

Mississippi to Texas, chiefly on the gulf coast and Rio

Grande Plain.
VETCHES IN THE UNITED STATES 53

22b. Vicia ludoviciana var. laxifloia Shinners

Vicia ludoviciana var. laxifora Shinners, Field & Lab.

16:25. 1948.

Plants sparingly to rather densely grayish pubescent;

racemes loose, 3- to 13-flowered, the flov^ers rather widely

spaced; flowers 5.5 to 8 mm. long, the folded standard

1.5 to 2.5 mm. high, narrower and paler than in the

typical form.

As pointed out by Dr. Shinners, dwarfed plants, or

fruiting plants with few pods, are almost impossible to

distinguish from V. Jeavenworthii.

Limestone areas of the Grrand Prairie and Edwards

Plateau, east-central Texas.
54 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 168, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

FIGURE 23.—Leavenworth vetch {Vicia lcai->enwort1iii).
VETCHES IN THE UNITED STATES 55

23. Vicia leavenworthii Ton. & Gray

LEAYENWORTH VETCH.

(Fig. 23)

Vicia leaveuivorthii TOIT. & Gray, Fl. N. Amer. 1:271.

1838.

Glabreseent to sparsely pilose or ])uberulent winter

annual, strigillose when young; stems quadrangular,

usually much branched and spreading at the base, reclining or climbing, 3 to 6 dm. long; leaves 3 to 6 cm. long,

bearing (8) 10 to 11 leaflets, terminating in a forked

tendril; leaflets narrowly elliptic-lanceolate to oblong,

oval or oblanceolate, 5 to 12 mm. long, the apex acute

to rounded and mucronulate or shallowly emarginate;

stipules mostly lanceolate, occasionally narrowly semisagittate; peduncles from shorter than to exceeding the

subtending leaves, (1-) 2- to 5-flowered; flowers bluish

lavender, 4.5 to 7 mm. long; calyx ])ubescent, the tube

turbinate, 1 to 1.5 mm. long, the teeth subequal, lancesubulate, about equaling to longer than the tube; pods

flattish, glabrous, oblong, oblique at both ends, 2 to 2.5

cm. long, 5 to 7 mm. wide, 4- to 6-seeded; seeds compressed-suborbicular, 2 to 2.5 mm. in diameter, purplish

brown, the hilum encircling about 14 ^f the seed.

In dry soil, southwestern Missouri and Arkansas to

Texas. Abundant on the Edwards Plateau of Texas,

where it is much sought after by livestock. A particularly valuable early spring forage plant, appearing even

before needlegrass and when no other forage is available. It has been successfully cultivated for forage and

also provides an excellent green manure.
56 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 168, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

FIGURE 24.—Slender vetch {Vicia exigua). Map shows range of V. exigua (•)

and var. hassei (O).
VETCHES IN THE UNITED STATES 57

24. Vicia exigua Niitt. SLENDER VETCH.

(Fig. 24)

Vicia exigua Nutt. in Torr. & Gray, Fl. N. Amer. 1: 272.

1838.

V. thurheri S. Wats., Amer. Acad. Proc. 25:129

1890.

V. proditcfa Rydb., Torr. Bot. Club Bul. 28:500.

1901.

V. leavenworthii var. occidentalis Shinners, Field &

Lab. 16:22. 1948.

Glabrous or sparsely strigose, very slender perennial

or winter annual; stems decumbent, ascending or erect,

usually branching at the base, 2 to 7 dm. long; leaves

rather distant, 2 to 6 cm. long, bearing 4 to 12 leaflets,

terminating in a usually branched tendril; leaflets narrowly linear to oblong, 5 to 25 mm. long, from rounded

to acute or rarely emarginate and mucronate at the

apex, glabrous or occasionally sparsely strigose; stipules

narrow, semisagittate, entire or incisely serrate; peduncles slender, 2 to 4 cm. long, shorter than the leaves,

1- to 2-flowered, aristate; flowers yellowish white to

purplish, (5) 6 to 8 (9) mm. long, appearing from March

to May in the South, April to June in the North; calyx

sparingly hirsute-strigose, the teeth lanceolate, broad at

the base, from somewhat shorter than to equaling the

tube, the upper teeth shorter than the lower and broaderbased; pods oblong, oblique at the tip, 2 to 3 cm. long,

4 to 6 mm. wide, glabrous, 4- to 7-seeded; seeds compressed-suborbicular, 2.5 to 3 mm. in diameter, purplish

black, the hilmn short, encircling % of the seed.

Thickets, open woods, especially amongst brush, and

stony or sandy fields, Colorado and Utah to southern

Oregon and California, south to Texas, New Mexico, and

Arizona.
58 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 168, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

H\-\

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-^

FIGURE 25.—Showy vetch (Vicia puUhcUa).
VETCHES IN THE UNITED STATES 5Ô

24a. Vicia exigua var. hassei (S. Wats.) Jeps.

Vicia exigua var. hassei (S. Wats.) Jeps., Fl. W. Middle

Calif. 296. 1901.

F. hassei S. Wats., Amer. Aead. Proe. 25: 129. 1890.

Stouter; leaflets broader, many deeply notched at a]K'x.

Orange and Los Angeles Counties, California, north

to central California.

25. Vicia pulchella H. B. K. SHOWY VETCH.

(Fig. 25)

Vicia pulchella H. B. K. Nov. Gen. & Sp. 6:499. 1824.

Vicia meliJotoides Woot. & Standl., Contr. U.S. Nati.

Herb. 16:141. 1913.

Short-pilose to glabrate perennial ; stems angled, 3.5

to 8 dm. long, decumbent, ascending or climbing; leaves

4 to 11 cm. long, bearing 10 to 16 leaflets, terminated by

a forking tendril ; leaflets elliptic to linear-oblong or

oblong-lanceolate, 7 to 30 mm. long, the apex obtuse and

mucronate to acute; stipules lanceolate to narrowly

sagittate; peduncles 2.5 to 15 cm. long, shorter than to

much exceeding the leaves, (6-) 8- to 25-flowered; flowers

cream-white often with the keel purple-tix)ped and the

standard purple veined to bluish purple, 5 to 7 mm. long ;

calyx obliqvie-campanulate, more or less appressed-pilose,

3 mm. long, the teeth short, broadly triangular, the blunt

upper teeth shorter than the acute to acuminate lowermost tooth, all much shorter than the tube ; pods oblong,

oblique-tipped, stipitate, 20 to 35 mm. long, 5 to 8 mm.

wide, glabrous, 5- to 9-seeded; seeds compressed-subglobose, 2.5 to 2.75 mm. in diameter, purplish black, the

hilum encircling about ^4 c>f the seed.

Thickets, pine woods, open stony hillsides and moist

meadows, especially in the mountains (Transition Zone),

New Mexico, Arizona, and Mexico. (Reported by Kearney, and by Wooton and Standley from west Texas, but

no material seen from that State.)
60 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 168, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

FIGURE 26.—Monantba vetch {Vicia articulata).

(From Guinea, Estudio Botánico de las Vezas y Arvejas Españolas.)
VETCHES IN THE UNITED STATES 61

26. Vicia articulata Hörnern.

MOXAXTHA VETCH : OXE-FLOA\ ERED VETCH.

(Pig. 26)

Vicia articulata Hörnern., Ennni. PI. Hort. Hafn. 41.

1807.

V. monauthos Desf., Fl. Atl. 2:165. 1800, not Retz.,

1783.

V. muUifida AYalL, Fl. Hal., Sup. 3:85. 1815.

Slender, glabrous annual ; stems simple to i)rofusely

branched, reclining, erect or climbing, angled, 2 to 7 dm.

long; leaves 4 to 7 cm. long, bearing 10 to 16 leaflets and

terminated by a branched tendril; leaflets linear to narrowly oblong (those of the lowermost leaves sometimes

elliptic-oval), 6 to 15 mm. long, 1 to 3 mm. wide, the

apex rounded and mucronate to truncate or deeply retuse; stipules totally dissimilar, one of the pair very

small, sessile, undivided and linear, the other large, conspicuously petioled, incisely digitate to form 3 to 9 (12)

subulate to filiform teeth; peduncles slender, erectascending, 2 to 6 cm. long, from shorter than to about

equaling the leaves, 1-flowered, aristate; flowers whitish

blue, or pale lavender, the keel tipped with purplish

black, 10 to 15 mm. long; calyx about half the length of

the corolla, campanulate, the subequal, lance-subulate

teeth twice the length of the tube ; pods substipitate, flat,

short-oblong, 15 to 30 mm. long, 6 to 8 mm. wide, obliquebeaked, glabrous or finely pilose, yellowish brown, 2- to

4-seeded; seeds compressed-suborbicular, 5 to 6.5 mm. in

diameter, blackish purple, the hilum very short, white,

about Ys of the circumference of the seed.

Southern Europe. Cultivated for green manure in

orchards of Florida and southern Georgia and mainly

for seed in northwestern California and western Oregon ;

not very winter hardy.
62 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 168, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

111"/) \ S ^'^'U^i

\f \

FIGURE 27.—Pale vetch {Vicia caroliniana)
VETCHES IN THE UNITED STATES 63

27. Vicia caroliniana Walt.

PALE VETCH (WOOD VETCH).

(Fig. 27)

Vicia carolimaua Walt., FJ. Carol. 182. 1788.

V. parviflora Michx., Fl. Bor. Amer. 2: 69. 1803.

Slender perennial ; stems trailing or climbing, up to a

meter long; leaflets 10 to 24, elliptic to oblong or oblonglanceolate, obtuse, nuicronulate, usually with 5 to 7 lateral veins on each side; stipules lanceolate or semisagittate, entire; peduncles elongate; racemes, including

the peduncle, 6 to 10 cm. long, bearing 7 to 20 loosely

disposed, pedicelled flowers, 8 to 12 mm. long; calyx

nearly regular, the tube 2 to 2.7 mm. long, the lobes

subequal, broadly triangular, about as Inroad as long (less

than 1 mm.); corolla white, the keel tipped with blue;

pod stipitate, narrowly oblong, obliquely long-beaked,

1.5 to 3 cm. long; seeds compressed-suborbicular or subglobose, 2.5 to 4 mm. in diameter, violet brown to blackish,

the hilum encircling % of the circmnference.

Rich woods, thickets and shores, New York and southern Ontario to Minnesota, south to Florida and Texas.
64 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 168, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

FIGURE 28.—Hairy vetch {Vicia villosa).

(From Guinea, Estudio Botánico de las Vezas y Arvejas Españolas.)
VETCHES IN THE UNITED STATES 65

28. Vicia villosa Roth

HAIRY VETCH ; ANOOLLY VETCH ; A\ INTER VETCH.

(Fio-. 28.)

Vicia villosa Roth, Tent. Fl. Germ. 2:182. 1789.

V. villosa f. albiflora (Schur) Gams, in Hegi, Fl.

Mitteleuropa 4(3) : 1536. 1924.

V. villosa f. rosea Sherff, Bot. Leaflet Sherff, No.

7:24. 1952.

Anmial or biennial; stems si)reading-villous, uj:) to a

meter long; leaflets usually 10 to 20, narrowly oblong

to linear-lanceolate, obtuse and mucronate to acute, 1 to

2.5 cm. long; peduncles elongate; racemes dense, 10- to

40-flowered, secund, plumose in bud; flowers 12 to 20 mm.

long; calyx irregular, villous, the tube 2.3 to 4 mm. long,

gibbous at the base on the upper side, the pedicel apparently inserted ventrally, the lower teeth linear-acicular, long-villous, 2 to 5 mm. long, the upper lineartriangular 0.8 to 1.5 mm. long; corolla violet and white

to rose colored or white, slender, the blade of the

glabrous standard less than half as long as the claw;

pod oblong, 2 to 3 cm. long, 7 to 10 mm. broad, obliquely

beaked; seeds globose, 3 to 4.5 mm. in diameter, black,

the hiliun encircling ^7 of the circumference.

Cultivated; naturalized from Europe along roadsides,

in fields and waste land from Maine to Montana, south

to Georgia and California.

Agronomists, basing their observations chiefly upon

seedling and seed characteristics, are not fully in agreement with taxonomists in referring the so-called ^'smooth

hairy'' vetch (var. glahrescens) to the following species,

V. dasycarpa, as is done here, rather than to the present

species, and its correct taxonomic position must await

further cooperative studies. Harry A. Schoth, Oregon

Agricultural Experiment Station, is of the opinion that

in the Pacific Northwest better than 95 percent of the

hairy vetch grown for all purposes is of the smooth type.
66 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 168, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

FIGURE 20.—WooUypod vetch {Vicia dasycarpa).

(From Guinea, Estudio Botánico de las Vezas y Arvejas Españolas.)
VETCHES IN THE UNITED STATES 67

29. Vicia dasycarpa Ten.

WOOLLYPOD VETCH (SMOOTH ^HETCH) .

(Fig. 29.)

Vicia dasycarpa Ten., Viagg. Abrezz. 81. 1829.

V. varia Host, Fl. Austr. 2:332. 1831.

V. villosa var. gJabrescens Koch, Syn. 194. 1835

(ed. 1); 214. 1843 (ed. 2).

V. dasycarpa var. gJabrescens (Koch) Beck in

Reichenb. Icones 22:199. 1903.

Annual, rarely perennial; very similar to V. villosa

but differing in its appressed-pubescent or glabrate stem

and foliage, in its fewer (usually only 5 to 15)-flowered

racemes not plumose in bud and in its shorter (1 to 2

mm. long), glabrescent lower calyx-teeth; seeds subglobose to oval-oblong, 4 to 5 mm. in diameter, dull blackish

brown to velvety black, sometimes obscurely mottled, the

hilum encircling about V^ ofthe seed.

Naturalized from Europe along roadsides, in ñelds and

waste places at many scattered localities from Maine to

Montana, south to Georgia, Missouri, and California.

Distinction is sometimes made between the woollypod

vetch {Vicia dasycarpa) and the smooth or ^^smooth

hairy" vetch (V. dasycarpa var. glahrescens)^ a race that

was formerly considered a variant of the hairy vetch

(F. villosa). In the typical form of the woollypod vetch,

the leaflets tend to be obtuse and as much as 4 to 6 mm.

wide, the racemes mostly only 6- to 12-flowered and longer

than the leaves, the flowers usually less than 15 mm.

long, the pods about 40 by 10 mm., often finely hairy,

seeds globose. In the smooth vetch, the leaflets are commonly acute and only about 2 to 4 mm. wide, the racemes

generally many-flowered and hardly longer than the

leaves, the flowers about 15 to 17 mm. long, the longest

pods about 9 mm. wide, seeds oval to subglobose. The

two races are connected by numerous intermediate forms,

however, so that their separation is often impracticable.
68 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 16 8, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

FIGURE 30.—Bird vetch (Vicia cracca).

(From Guinea, Estudio Botánico de las Vezas y Arvejas Españolas.)
VETCHES IN THE UNITED STATES 69

30. Vicia cracca L. BIRD VETCH (TUFTED VETCH).

(Fig. 30.)

Vicia cracca L., Sp. PI. 735. 1753.

V. semicincta Greene, Eiythea 3:17. 1895.

V. cracca f. aJhida (Peterm.) Gams in Hegi, Fl.

Mitteleuropa 4(3) : 1531. 1924.

Perennial ; stems striate, angular, appressed-pubescent,

climbing or trailing, up to 2 m. long; leaflets 16 to 24,

narrowly oblong to linear or elliptic, 10 to 30 mm. long,

3 to 5 mm. wide, mucronate, appressed-pilose or silky to

glabrate ; stipules semisagittate, entire ; racemes longpeduncled, densely 20- to 50-flowered, secund, equaling to

one and a half times the length of the subtending leaf;

flowers crowded, reflexed, 8 to 12 mm. long; calyx short

(2 to 3 mm. long), gradually rounded or slightly gibbous

at the base on the upper side, its upper teeth broadly

triangular, 0.3 to 0.6 mm. long, the lower lance-attenuate

1.3 to 2.5 mm. long; corolla blue violet or pui^^le, occasionally lilac or rarely whitish, the blade of the standard

about equaling the claw; pod narrow^ly rhomboid, 2 to 3

cm. long, 5 to 6 mm. wide ; seeds 4 to 8, globose, 2.5 to 3

mm. in diameter, dark grayish brown, occasionally

mottled with purple, the hilum encircling 14 to % of the

circumference.

Fields, thickets, roadsides, and shores from Newfoundland to British Columbia, south to Virginia, Illinois and

Washington; also in Eurasia. Possibly native in the

northern part of our range but only introduced from

Massachusetts and Indiana southward.
70 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 168, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

FIGURE 31.—Bramble vetch (Vicia tenuifolia).

(From Guinea, Estudio Botánico de las Vezas y Arvejas Españolas.)
VETCHES IN THE UNITED STATES 71

31. Vicia tenuifolia Roth BRAMBLE VETCH.

(Fig. 31.)

Vicia tenuifolia Roth, Tent. Fl. Germ. 1: 309. 1788.

y. cracca subsp. tenuifolia (Roth) Gandin, Fl. Helv.

4:507. 1829.

V. cracca var. angustissima Neilr., Fl. ISTiederOesterr. 959. 1859.

V. cracca var. tenuifolia (Roth) G. Beck, Fl. NiederOesterr. 880. 1892.

Perennial; very similar to V, cracca but differing in

having the long-pednncled, fevv^er-flowered (10 to 25)

racemes about twice the length of the leaves, and larger

flowers (12 to 16 mm. long) with the blade of the standard twice the length of the claw. Leaflets 2 to 4 mm.

wide ; seeds subglobose to elliptic-ovoid, up to 4 mm. long,

purplish browTL, the hihim encircling V5 to Y^ of the

seed.

Locally established in cultivated land, Wisconsin;

naturalized from Europe.
72 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 16 8, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

FIGURE 32.—Giant vetch (Vicia gigantea).
VETCHES IN THE UNITED STATES 73

32. Vicia gigantea Hook. GIANT VETCH.

(Fig. 32)

Vicia gigantea Hook., Fl. Bor. Amer. 1:157. 1839.

Lathyriis cinctus S. Wats., Amer. Acad. Proc.

23:263. 1889.

Perennial, the whole plant turning* dark in drying;

stems stout, somev^hat fistulous, sparingly pubescent,

ascending or climbing, 6 to 12 dm. high; leaves 10 to 12

cm. long, the leaflets 18 to 26, narrowly oblong to oblonglanceolate, rounded or obtuse at the mucronulate apex,

15 to 35 mm. long, somewhat strigose; peduncles shorter

than the leaves; racemes densely flowered, one-sided;

flowers reddish purple to pale saffron, 11 to 13 mm. long ;

calyx short, the lower teeth about equaling the tube, the

U13per very short to almost obsolete; pod oblong, 3 to 4

cm. long, glabrous; seeds 3 to 4, subglobose, purplish

black to velvety black, 5 to 6 mm. in diameter, the hilum

encircling % or more of the circumference.

Along streams and on borders of swamps near the

coast, southern Alaska to San Luis Obispo County,

California, extending inland to the Willamette Valley,

Oregon.
74 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 168, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

FIGURE 33.—Purple vetch {Vioia henghnlcnsis).

(From Guinea, Estudio Botánico de las Vezas y Anejas Españolas.)
VETCHES IN THE UNITED STATES 75

33. Vicia benghalensis L. PURPLE VETCK.

(Fig. 33)

Vicia henghaleusis L., Sp. PL 736. 1753.

V. atropurpúrea Desf., F]. Atlant. 2:164. 1800.

Annual or biennial, rarely perennial, softly whitehairy; stems weak, angular, and striate, 1 to 2 m. long;

leaves all bearing prominent, branched tendrils; leaflets

10 to 16, oval to oblong-linear, 2 to 3 cm. long, usually

blunt but mucronate; stipules rather large, semisagittate,

dentate; flowers 2 to 12, large (13 to 18 mm.), in a rather

close, secund raceme, all opening at the same time ; calyx

not, or only slightly, gibbous at the base, the teeth prolonged, subulate, the lower 3 to 4 mm., the upper 2 to 3

mm. long; corolla narrow, whitish at the base, dark

purple above, the blade of the standard much shorter

than the claw; pod narrowly oblong, broad, 25 to 35 mm.

by 8 to 12 min., pubescent; seeds 4 to 5, compressed

subglobose, to subquadrate, 4 to 5 mm. in diameter,

velvety black with a prominent white hilum encircling

^^ of the seed.

Native of southern Europe; cultivated for cover and

green-manuring, particularly on the Pacific coast ; locally

established along many roadsides in California,
76 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 16 8, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

FIGURE 34.—Bard vetch {Vicia monantha).

(From Guinea, Estudio Botánico de las Vezas y Arvejas Españolas.)
VETCHES IN THE UNITED STATES 77

34. Vicia monantha Retz. BARD VETCH.

(Fig. 34.)

Vicia monantha Retz., Obs. 3: 39. 1783.

V. caJcarata Desf., Fl. Atlant. 2:166. 1800.

Slender, glabrons annual; stems angular, prostrate or

climbing, 2 to 4 dm. long; leaflets 8 to 16, linear-lanceolate

to oblong-elliptic; stipules entire, semisagittate, sometimes with one of the lobes bind; peduncles filiform,

shorter than the leaves, alístate, generally 2- (1 to 3)-

ñowered; calyx sparingly ai)pressed-villous, about onefourth the length of the corolla, the teeth small, subequal,

triangular, the upper pair somewhat connivent; corolla

blue, 12 to 20 mm. long; pod oblong, 35 to 45 mm. long,

9 to 11 mm. wide ; seeds 5 to 7, com])ressed suborbicular,

4 to 6 mm. in diameter, dark chestnut brown to purplish

black, sometimes mottled, the hilum small, encircling

about l^ to Yß of the circmnference of the seed.

Southern Europe and eastern Asia. Cultivated in

southwestern United States.
78 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 168, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

B

FIGURE 35.—American vetch {Vicia americana) : a, var. villosa; b, var. minor;

c, var. trunca ta.
VETCHES IN THE UNITED STATES 79

35. Vicia americana Muhl. AMERK'AN VETCH.

(Fig. 35; Maps 1-5.)

Vicia americana Muhl. ex Willd., Sp. PL 3:1096. 1803.

Perennial; stems glabrous or ])ubeseent, trailing or

climbing, up to 1 m. long; leaflets 8 to 18, linear to oval

mostly 1.5 to 3.5 cm. long, 1 to 14 mm. wide, the lateral

veins prominent beneath in drying, the a])ex rounded to

truncate or emarginate; stipules mostly sharply serrate;

racemes shorter than the su])tending heaves, loos(^, 3- to

9-flowered; flow^ers bluish purple, 15 to 28 mm. long;

calyx-tube oblique, 3.5 to 5.5 mm. long, the teeth \ arial)le,

variously unequal, the lower usually lance-attenuate, 1.2

to 4 mm. long, the upper short and broad ; pod 2.5 to 3.5

cm. long; seeds subglobose, 3 to 4 mm. long, olive-brown

to deep violet-brown, the hilum encircling 1/4 ^^ Vs ^^

the circumference of the seed.

A very polymorphic species, most of the forms falling

readily into the five following varieties.

Key to Varieties of American Vetch

la. Leaflets thin, broad (4 to 14 mm.), ovate or

oval to broadly elliptic.

2a. Apex of leaflets rounded to more or less

emarginate, usually entire.

3a. Plant glabrous to sparingly pilose; apex

of leaflets rounded, entire 35a. var. americayia.

3b. Plant pubescent; apex of leaflets rounded

to more or less emarginate, occasionally

denticulate 35b. var. oregana,

2b. Apex of leaflets truncate and emarginate,

usually also denticulate; plant glabrous or

glabrate 35c. var. truncata.

lb. Leaflets thick.

4a. Plant pilose; leaflets broad (4 to 12 mm.),

elliptic to cuneate-obovate, apex truncate,

more or less denticulate 35d. var. villosa.
80 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 168, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

Mr~j n . .

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• •

/\•^ »1* ^-^ .~ f^j.-.Q

t \ •Li* ••Mr

\

3^J

MAP 1.—Range of Yicia americana var. americana.

MAP 2.—Range of 1 /cia americana var. truncata.
VETCHES IN THE UNITED STATES 81

4b. Plant glabrous to somewhat pilose; leaflets

narrow (1 to 4 mm.), linear to narrowly

oblong, apex rounded or truncate, entire 35e. var. minor.

35a. Vicia americana var. americana (Map 1.)

Vicia sylvatica Nutt., Gen. 2:97. 1818, not L. 1753.

7. copelandii Eastw., Torrev Bot. Club Bui. 32:197.

1905.

V. liijpoJasia Greene, Leaflet Bot. Obs. and Grit.

2:268. 1912.

Plant glabrous to sparsely pilose; leaflets thin, broad,

ovate or oval to broadly elliptic or oblong, 4 to 14 nun.

wide, obtuse to broadly rounded at the entire apex,

mucronate, the conspicuously branching lateral veins

numerous and forming a 45° angle with the midrib.

Meadows, thickets, shores, grassy valleys, and foothills,

Quebec to Alaska, south to Virginia, Indiana, Arkansas;

New Mexico and California.

35b. Vicia americana var. oregana (Nutt.) A. Neis.

(Map 3.)

Vicia americana var. oregana (Nutt.) A. Neis., Man. Bot.

Rocky Mts. 301. 1909.

Vicia oregana Nutt. in Torr. & Gray, Fl. N. Amer.

1:270. 1838.

Lafhfjrus dissitifolius Nutt., I.e. 277.

Vicia dissitifolia (Nutt.) Rydb., Torr. Bot. Club

Bul. 33:144. 1906.

V. vexillaris Green, Leaflet Bot. Obs. and Grit. 2:269.

1912.

V. americana subsp. oregana (Nutt.) Abrams, 111.

PL Pacific States 2:617. 1944.

Plant more or less pubescent; leaflets thin, oblongelliptic to ovate-elliptic, apex rounded to emarginate (in

Oregon and California, often also denticulate).
82 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 168, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

> • \ Ll. rJ

MAP 3.—Ranime of ]'iria americana

var. orcf/aiia.

MAP 4.—Range of Vicia americana

var. V illosa.

MAP f).—Range of Vicia americana var. minor.
VETCHES IN THE UNITED STATES 83

Grassy slopes in open AYOOCIS, British C\)]uiiibia to

southern California, east to Saskatchewan, Idaho and

southern Utah.

35c. Vicia americana var. truncata (Nutt.) Brewer

(Map 2.)

Vicia americaua var. truncata (Nutt.) Brewer /;/ Brewer

& Wats., Bot. Calif. 1:158. 1876.

V. truncata Nutt. in Torr. &: Gray, Fl. N. Amer.

1:270. 1838.

V, piimila Heller, Muhlenbergia 2:88. 1905.

V, Washington en sis Suksd., West Ainer. Scientist

15:59. 1906.

Plant glabrous to glabrate; leaflets thin to sonK^what

thick, broad, the apex truncate and emarginate, usually

also 3 to 5 denticulate.

Range and habitat about the same as that of var.

oregana, but more frequent and extending eastward to

North Dakota and Iowa.

35d. Vicia americana var. villosa (Kell.) F. J. Hermann, comb. nov.

(Map ,4.)

Vicia truncata var. villosa Kell., Calif. Acad. Sei. Proc.

1:57. 1855.

V. californica Greene, Fl. Francise. 3. 1891.

V. durhrowii Eastw., Torrey Bot. Club Bui. 32:196.

1905.

V. californica var. madrensis Jeps., Fl. Calif. 2:386.

1936.

Plant pilose, usually low; leaflets rather thick, broad,

elliptic to cuneate-obovate, thé margin sometimes serrate

above base, truncate and more or less denticulate at apex.

Often closely resembling var. oregana. It can usually

be distinguished from the latter by its shorter and

broader calyx-lobes, the lowermost averaging 0.75 to 1.5
84 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 16 8, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

mm. long as compared with 2 to 4 mm. in var. oregana,

but internu^diates between the two varieties are fre(juent.

Sparsely wooded momitain slopes, southern Oregon to

southern California.

35e. Vicia americana var. minor Hook. (Map 5.)

Vicia (imcricana vai*. minor Hook., Fl. Bor. Am. 1:157.

1834.

y. tridentata Seliwein, iii Long, Exped. Winnep.

2: 392. 1825.

V, sparsifoJia Nutt. iu Torr. & Gray, Fl. N. Amer.

1:270. 1838.

Lathi/rus liuearis Nutt. iv Torr. & Gray, Fl. N.

Amer. 1:276. 1838.

Vicia americana var. angustifolia Xees. in WiedNeuweid, Reise inn. Nord. Amer. 2:434. 1841.

V. trißda Dietr., 8yn. PI. 4:112. 1847.

V. americana var. linearis (Nutt.) S. Wats., Amer.

Aead. Proc. 11:134. 1875.

V. linearis (Nutt.) Greene, Fl. Francise. 3. 1891.

y. caespitosa A. Neis., Torrev Bot. Club Bui. 25:373.

1898.

y. americana var. palliela Suksd., Deutsche Bot.

Monats. 18:26. 1900.

y. linearis var. caespitosa A. Neis., Coult. & Neis.,

Man. Bot. Rocky Mts. 301. 1909.

y. callianthema Greene, Leaflet Bot. Obs. and Crit.

2:269. 1912.

Plant glabrous to sparsely pilose, usually low; leaflets

thick, narrow (1 to 4 mm. wide), linear to linear-oblong,

the apex rounded or truncate, entire, the few lateral

veins scarcely branched and forming a very narrow angle

with the midrib.

Prairies, j)lains and oi)en wooded slopes, Paciflc coast

eastward to Minnesota, South Dakota, Iowa, Kansas and

Oklahoma.

U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1960 O—515579