Vicia sativa

"Notes: Western Ghats, Cultivated, Native of Mediterranean Region"

This annual wildflower is 1-2½' tall, branching occasionally. It is semi-erect, using its tendrils to cling to adjacent vegetation. The stems are light green, ribbed, and sparsely pubescent. Alternate compound leaves about 3-5" long occur at intervals along each stem; each leaf is even-pinnate with 5-6 pairs of leaflets and a branched tendril at its tip. The petioles of the compound leaves are short. At the base of each petiole, there is a pair of dentate stipules about ¼" in length. Individual leaflets are about ¾" long and ¼" across; they are oblong in shape and smooth along their margins with short pointed tips. Each leaflet has a short petiolule (basal stalklet) about 1 mm. long. at its base. The upper leaflet surface is medium green and hairless, while the lower surface is pale green and slightly pubescent along the central vein. The middle to upper leaves produce 1-2 flowers from their axils; these flowers are nearly sessile (pedicels about 1 mm. long). Individual flowers are about ¾" long, consisting of 5 purple petals and a light green tubular calyx with 5 teeth. The petals are arranged in a pea-like floral structure consisting of a banner, 2 wings, and a keel; the latter encloses the reproductive organs. There is usually a patch of white at the base of the banner (uppermost petal). The teeth of the calyx are linear-lanceolate and similar to each other in length. The blooming period occurs from late spring to mid-summer for about 2 months. The flowers are replaced by elongated seedpods about 1½-3" in length that are hairless. Initially, the seedpods are green and flattened, but they later become dark brown and more swollen as the seeds enlarge. Each seedpod contains 5-12 seeds. Individual seeds are subgloboid (somewhat flattened) and smooth. This wildflower spreads by reseeding itself.

Climbing or sprawling annual herb to 80 cm. Leaves paripinnate with 3-8 pairs of leaflets, the rhachis usually terminating in a branched tendril; leaflets linear to oblong or obcordate, mucronate. Inflorescence subsessile with 1-2(-4) flowers per inflorescence. Corolla 10-30 mm, light reddish-purple, bluish or mauve. Pod 25-50 mm, brownish-black.

sativa: cultivated, not wild

"Maharashtra: Nasik Tamil Nadu: Dindigul, Nilgiri"

The non-native Common Vetch is occasional in both northern and southern Illinois, while in the central part of the state it is largely absent (see Distribution Map). However, it is likely to spread to all areas of the state in the future. The distribution map combines information for both Vicia sativa sativa and Vicia sativa nigra. Common Vetch was introduced into North America from Eurasia for agricultural purposes. Habitats consist of cropland (mainly wheat fields), fallow fields, weedy meadows, roadsides, areas along railroads, and miscellaneous waste areas. Sometimes Common Vetch is deliberated planted as a source of forage for farm animals. Habitats with a history of disturbance are strongly preferred.

Temperate and many subtropical and tropical regions of the world.

Vicia sativa L.:
Afghanistan (Asia)
Bhutan (Asia)
Canada (North America)
Chile (South America)
Colombia (South America)
Greenland (North America)
Guatemala (Mesoamerica)
India (Asia)
Japan (Asia)
Kyrgyzstan (Asia)
Kazakhstan (Asia)
Mexico (Mesoamerica)
Mongolia (Asia)
North Korea (Asia)
Nepal (Asia)
Pakistan (Asia)
Russian Federation (Asia)
South Korea (Asia)
Tajikistan (Asia)
Turkmenistan (Asia)
Taiwan (Asia)
United States (North America)
Uzbekistan (Asia)
Venezuela (South America)
Caribbean (Caribbean)
China (Asia)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

Vicia sativa Guss.:
United States (North America)
Canada (North America)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

Widespread in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East

Canada

Origin: Exotic

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Unknown/Undetermined

Confidence: Confident

United States

Origin: Exotic

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Unknown/Undetermined

Confidence: Confident

Distribution: Pakistan; Kashmir; India; Orient, Europe; Russia; Far East.

Nepal.

Annual herb, pubescent to subglahrous, decumbent, erect or climbing. Leaf pinnately compound, petiole less than 1 cm long; leaflets 4-18, 1-4 cm long, 2-15 mm broad, linear to lanceolate to oblong or obovate, acute, obtuse or emarginate, thinly pubescent or glabrescent; stipules 3-8 mm long, semisagittate, dentate: tendril generally branched. Flowers 1-2 rarely 3, axillary, subsessile or shortly pedicellate. Calyx 7-20 mm, pubescent, teeth 3-11 mm long, subequal. Corolla pale pink, crimson, purplish violet, rarely white. Vexillum 7-25 mm long. Fruit 2.3-6.5 cm long, 4-8.5 mm broad, narrowly oblong, pubescent becoming glabrous when mature, 6-12-seeded.

Annual, Herbs, Taproot present, Nodules present, Stems erect or ascending, Stems or branches arching, spreading or decumbent, Stems less than 1 m tall, Climbing by tendrils, Stems solid, Stems or young twigs glabrous or sparsely glabrate, Stems or young twigs sparsely to densely hairy, Leaves alternate, Leaves petiolate, Stipules conspicuous, Stipules green, triangulate to lanceolate or foliaceous, Stipules persistent, Stipules free, Stipules cordate, lobed, or sagittate, Stipules toothed or laciniate, Leaves compound, Leaves even pinnate, Leaf or leaflet margins entire, Leaflets opposite, Leaflets alternate or subopposite, Leaflets 5-9, Leaflets 10-many, Leaves glabrous or nearly so, Leaves hairy on one or both surfaces, Flowers solitary in axils, or appearing solitary, Flowers in axillary clusters or few-floweredracemes, 2-6 flowers, Inflorescence axillary, Bracts very small, absent or caducous, Flowers zygomorphic, Calyx 5-lobed, Calyx gland-dotted or with glandular spot, Calyx gibbous, inflated, or spurred, Calyx hairy, Petals separate, Corolla papilionaceous, Petals clawed, Petals white, Petals pinkish to rose, Petals blue, lavander to purple, or violet, Banner petal ovoid or obovate, Wing petals narrow, oblanceolate to oblong, Wing petals auriculate, Wing tips obtuse or rounded, Keel tips obtuse or rounded, not beaked, Stamens 9-10, Stamens diadelphous, 9 united, 1 free, Filaments glabrous, Style terete, Style sharply bent, Style hairy, Style hairy on one side only, Style with distal tuft of hairs, Fruit a legume, Fruit stipitate, Fruit unilocular, Fruit freely dehiscent, Fruit oblong or ellipsoidal, Fruit exserted from calyx, Valves twisting or coiling after dehiscence, Fruit beaked, Fruit glabrous or glabrate, Fruit hairy, Fruit 3-10 seeded, Seeds ovoid to rounded in outline, Seed surface smooth, Seeds olive, brown, or black, Seed surface mottled or patchy.

The non-native Common Vetch is occasional in both northern and southern Illinois, while in the central part of the state it is largely absent (see Distribution Map). However, it is likely to spread to all areas of the state in the future. The distribution map combines information for both Vicia sativa sativa and Vicia sativa nigra. Common Vetch was introduced into North America from Eurasia for agricultural purposes. Habitats consist of cropland (mainly wheat fields), fallow fields, weedy meadows, roadsides, areas along railroads, and miscellaneous waste areas. Sometimes Common Vetch is deliberated planted as a source of forage for farm animals. Habitats with a history of disturbance are strongly preferred.

The flowers are cross-pollinated by bumblebees and other long-tongued bees. Various insects feed destructively on the foliage, flowers, or developing seedpods of Vicia spp. (Vetches). These species include the caterpillars of such butterflies as Colias eurytheme (Orange Sulfur), Colias philodice (Clouded Sulfur), Everes  comyntas (Eastern Tailed Blue), Glaucopsyche lygdamus couperi (Silvery Blue), Leptotes marina (Marine Blue), and Strymon melinus (Gray Hairstreak). It also includes caterpillars of the skipper, Erynnis funeralis (Funereal Duskywing), and the moth, Caenurgina chloropha (Vetch Looper). Vetches are food plants of Acyrthosiphon pisum (Pea Aphid), several leafhoppers (Empoasca spp.), and the thrips, Sericothrips cingulatus. The foliage of Common Vetch is edible to mammalian herbivores

Foodplant / feeds on
larva of Apion pomonae feeds on Vicia sativa

In Great Britain and/or Ireland:
Foodplant / pathogen
Botrytis dematiaceous anamorph of Botrytis fabae infects and damages live leaf of Vicia sativa

Foodplant / internal feeder
larva of Bruchus pisorum feeds within seed of Vicia sativa

Foodplant / internal feeder
larva of Bruchus rufipes feeds within seed of Vicia sativa

Foodplant / parasite
Erysiphe pisi var. pisi parasitises Vicia sativa

Foodplant / gall
Megoura viciae causes gall of leaf of Vicia sativa

Foodplant / parasite
hypophyllous sporangium of Peronospora viciae parasitises yellowed leaflet of Vicia sativa

Foodplant / spot causer
mostly hypophyllous colony of Ramularia anamorph of Ramularia sphaeroidea causes spots on leaf of Vicia sativa

Foodplant / parasite
telium of Uromyces viciae-fabae var. viciae-fabae parasitises live Vicia sativa

Local

Fl.Per.: July-August.

Annual.

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 7
Specimens with Barcodes: 15
Species With Barcodes: 1

Rounded Global Status Rank: GNR - Not Yet Ranked

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable

These species are introduced in Switzerland.

Common Vetch adapts to full or partial sun, moist to dry-mesic conditions, and a variety of soil types, including those that contain loam and clay-loam. The root system can nodulate and add nitrogen to the soil.  Most growth and development occurs during the cool weather of spring. Because this wildflower can reseed itself aggressively, it is rather weedy.