page_title: Vicia
section_title: Ecology
hierarchical_section_title: Vicia / Ecology
caption_attribution_description: Vicia nigricans subsp. gigantea English: Giant Vetch
context_page_description: Vicia is a genus of about 140 species of flowering plants that are part of the legume family, and which are commonly known as vetches. Member species are native to Europe, North America, South America, Asia and Africa. Some other genera of their subfamily Faboideae also have names containing "vetch", for example the vetchlings or the milk-vetches. The broad bean is sometimes separated in a monotypic genus Faba; although not often used today, it is of historical importance in plant taxonomy as the namesake of the order Fabales, the Fabaceae and the Faboideae. The tribe Vicieae in which the vetches are placed is named after the genus' current name. Among the closest living relatives of vetches are the lentils and the true peas.
context_section_description: Vetches have cylindrical root nodules of the indeterminate type and are thus nitrogen-fixing plants. Their flowers usually have white to purple or blue hues, but may be red or yellow; they are pollinated by bumblebees, honey bees, solitary bees and other insects.
  Vicia species are used as food plants by the caterpillars of some butterflies and moths, such as:
  Coleophora cracella – only found on Vicia species
  Coleophora fuscicornis – only found on smooth tare (V. tetrasperma)
  Paratalanta pandalis – recorded on bush vetch (V. sepium)
  Chionodes lugubrella – recorded on tufted vetch (V. cracca)
  Lime-speck pug (Eupithecia centaureata) – recorded on tufted vetch (V. cracca)
  Double-striped pug (Gymnoscelis rufifasciata) – recorded on broad bean (V. faba)
  Provençal short-tailed blue (Everes alcetas)
  Amanda's blue (Polyommatus amandus) – only found on Vicia species
  The flame (Axylia putris)
  Blackneck (Lygephila pastinum) – recorded on tufted vetch (V. cracca)
  Angle shades (Phlogophora meticulosa)
  Colias species, e.g., Clouded sulphur (C. philodice)
  Wood white (Leptidea sinapis)
  Pea moth (Cydia nigricana)
  Most other parasites and plant pathogens affecting vetches have been recorded on the broad bean, the most widely cultivated and economically significant species. They include the mite Balaustium vignae whose adults are found on broad bean, the potexviruses Alternanthera mosaic virus, clover yellow mosaic virus and white clover mosaic virus, and several other virus species such as Bidens mosaic virus, tobacco streak virus, Vicia cryptic virus and Vicia faba endornavirus.
caption: The branched tendrils of black vetch (V. nigricans) help to distinguish it from other species.
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