Vicia americana

Regional Distribution in the Western United States

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

This species can be found in the following regions of the western United States (according to the Bureau of Land Management classification of Physiographic Regions of the western United States):

1 Northern Pacific Border
2 Cascade Mountains
3 Southern Pacific Border
4 Sierra Mountains
5 Columbia Plateau
6 Upper Basin and Range
7 Lower Basin and Range
8 Northern Rocky Mountains
9 Middle Rocky Mountains
10 Wyoming Basin
11 Southern Rocky Mountains
12 Colorado Plateau
13 Rocky Mountain Piedmont
14 Great Plains
15 Black Hills Uplift
16 Upper Missouri Basin and Broken Lands

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Occurrence in North America

AK AZ CA CO CT DE ID IL IN IA
KS KY ME MD MA MI MN MO MT NE
NV NH NJ NM NY ND OH OR PA RI
SD UT VT VA WA WV WI WY AB BC
MB NF SK

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Missouri Botanical Garden

Localities documented in Tropicos sources

Vicia truncata Phil.:
Chile (South 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.

References:

Marticorena, C. & M. Quezada. 1985. Catálogo de la Flora Vascular de Chile. Gayana, Bot. 42: 1–157.

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Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63110 USA

Localities documented in Tropicos sources

Vicia americana Muhl. ex Willd.:
Argentina (South America)
Canada (North America)
Mexico (Mesoamerica)
United States (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.

References:

Anonymous. 1986. List-Based Rec., Soil Conserv. Serv., U.S.D.A. Database of the U.S.D.A., Beltsville.
Voss, E. G. 1985. Michigan Flora. Part II Dicots (Saururaceae-Cornaceae). Bull. Cranbrook Inst. Sci. 59. xix + 724.
Gleason, H. A. 1968. The Choripetalous Dicotyledoneae. vol. 2. 655 pp. In H. A. Gleason Ill. Fl. N. U.S. (ed. 3). New York Botanical Garden, New York.
Turner, B. L. 1959. The Legumes of Texas Univ. of Texas Press, Austin. 284 pp.
Boivin, B. 1967. Flora of the Prairie Provinces. Phytologia 15(6): 329–446.
Brink, D. & L. M. Mayer. 1978. A floristic survey of eight coal sites in the Decker, Montana-Sherman, Wyoming area. Phytologia 38(6): 483–497.
Lowry, P. P. 1981. A floristic survey of the Bear Trap Canyon, Madison County, Montana, with a discussion of author citations using the connecting words In or Ex. Phytologia 49(2): 81–94.
Munz, P. A. 1974. Fl. S. Calif. 1–1086. University of California Press, Berkeley.
Gunn, C. R. 1979. Genus Vicia with notes about Tribe Vicieae (Fabaceae) in Mexico and Central America. Techn. Bull. U.S.D.A. 1601: 1–41.
Allkin, R., T. D. Macfarlane, R. J. White, F. A. Bisby & M. E. Adey. 1983. The Geographical Distribution of Vicia: Issue 1. Vicieae Database Project, Southampton Univ. 35 pp.
Cronquist, A. J., A. H. Holmgren, N. H. Holmgren, Reveal & P. K. Holmgren. 1989. Vascular Plants of the Intermountain West, U.S.A., FABALES. 3B: 1–279. In A. J. Cronquist, A. H. Holmgren, N. H. Holmgren, J. L. Reveal & P. K. Holmgren (eds.) Intermount. Fl. Hafner Pub. Co., New York.

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Missouri Botanical Garden

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National Distribution

Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

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NatureServe

Global Range: Widespread in North America.

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USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

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Morphology

Description

More info for the term: forb

American vetch is a native rhizomatous, single-stemmed ascending or
climbing perennial forb up to 30 inches (75 cm) tall [35]. The
inflorescence is a raceme with up to 10 flowers that are 0.5 to 1.5
inches (1.25-3.75 cm) long, each producing a pod 1 to 1.5 inches
(2.5-3.75 cm) long and containing two to several pealike seeds
[32,35,36]. American vetch has a moderate to deeply branched taproot
which reaches a maximum depth of about 40 inches (100 cm) [37]. It has
strong drought tolerance [35].

References:

32. Stubbendiek, James; Conard, Elverne C. 1989. Common legumes of the Great Plains: an illustrated guide. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press. 330 p. [11049]
35. Wasser, Clinton H. 1982. Ecology and culture of selected species useful in revegetating disturbed lands in the West. FWS/OBS-82/56. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service. 347 p. [4837]
36. Welsh, Stanley L.; Atwood, N. Duane; Goodrich, Sherel; Higgins, Larry C., eds. 1987. A Utah flora. Great Basin Naturalist Memoir No. 9. Provo, UT: Brigham Young University. 894 p. [2944]
37. Woolley, Samuel B., compiler. 1936. Root systems of important range plants of the Boise River watershed: A catalogue of species excavated by Liter E. Spence, collaborator. Unpublished paper on file at: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Fire Sciences Lab, Missoula, MT. 59 p. [78]

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USDA NRCS PLANTS Database

Physical Description

Perennial, Herbs, Plants with rhizomes or suckers, Nodules present, Stems erect or ascending, Stems or branches arching, spreading or decumbent, Stems prostrate, trailing, or mat forming, 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 in axillary clusters or few-floweredracemes, 2-6 flowers, I nflorescences racemes, Inflorescence axillary, Bracts very small, absent or caducous, Flowers zygomorphic, Calyx 5-lobed, Calyx gibbous, inflated, or spurred, Calyx glabrous, Petals separate, Corolla papilionaceous, Petals clawed, 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 glabrous or glabrate, Fruit 3-10 seeded, Seeds ovoid to rounded in outline, Seed surface smooth, Seeds olive, brown, or black, Seed surface mottled or patchy.

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Habitat

Habitat characteristics

American vetch grows in a wide variety of habitats. It is found in
moist to dry areas, swampy woods and borders, mixed forests, and
clearings. It is common in moist or sheltered foothill canyons and
meadows [8,34,36]. It grows on sandy, clayey, medium-textured soils.
In western mountains it is usually more abundant in deep porous loams
that are rich in organic matter. Soils vary from acidic to moderately
basic and are sometimes moderately saline [35].

References:

8. Barneby, Rupert C. 1989. Intermountain flora: Vascular plants of the Intermountain West, U.S.A. Vol. 3, Part B: Fabales. Bronx, NY: The New York Botanical Garden. 279 p. [18596]
34. Voss, Edward G. 1985. Michigan flora. Part II. Dicots (Saururaceae--Cornaceae). Bull. 59. Bloomfield Hills, MI: Cranbrook Institute of Science; Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Herbarium. 724 p. [11472]
35. Wasser, Clinton H. 1982. Ecology and culture of selected species useful in revegetating disturbed lands in the West. FWS/OBS-82/56. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service. 347 p. [4837]
36. Welsh, Stanley L.; Atwood, N. Duane; Goodrich, Sherel; Higgins, Larry C., eds. 1987. A Utah flora. Great Basin Naturalist Memoir No. 9. Provo, UT: Brigham Young University. 894 p. [2944]

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USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

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Key Plant Community Associations

More info for the term: forb

American vetch is a common understory forb in quaking aspen (Populus
tremuloides) communities in northern Minnesota and northern Michigan
[3].

Some common forb associates of American vetch include western yarrow
(Achillea millefolium), alpine aster (Aster foliaceus), showy aster (A.
conspicuus), Virginia strawberry (Fragaria virginiana), wildwhite
geranium (Geranium richardsonii), sticky geranium (G. viscosissimum),
Canada violet (Viola canadensis), western sagebrush (Artemisia
campestris), goldenrod (Solidago spp.), western snowberry
(Symphoricarpos occidentalis), and sedges (Carex spp.) [23,25,29].

References:

3. Alban, David H.; Perala, Donald A.; Jurgensen, Martin F.; [and others]
23. Mueggler, W. F. 1985. Forage. In: DeByle, Norbert V.; Winokur, Robert P., eds. Aspen: ecology and management in the western United States. Gen. Tech. Rep. RM-119. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station: 129-134. [11915]
25. Oswald, Brian P.; Covington, W. Wallace. 1984. Effect of a prescribed fire on herbage production in southwestern ponderosa pine on sedimentary soils. Forest Science. 30(1): 22-25. [2805]
29. Redmann, Robert E.; Schwarz, Arthur G. 1986. Dry grassland plant communities in Wood Buffalo National Park, Alberta. Canadian Field-Naturalist. 100(4): 526-532. [4030]

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Habitat: Cover Types

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

This species is known to occur in association with the following cover types (as classified by the Society of American Foresters):

More info for the term: cover

American vetch occurs in most SAF Cover Types.

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Habitat: Plant Associations

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

This species is known to occur in association with the following plant community types (as classified by Küchler 1964):

American vetch occurs in most Kuchler Plant Associations.

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Habitat: Ecosystem

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

This species is known to occur in the following ecosystem types (as named by the U.S. Forest Service in their Forest and Range Ecosystem [FRES] Type classification):

More info for the term: shrub

FRES10 White - red - jack pine
FRES11 Spruce - fir
FRES14 Oak - pine
FRES15 Oak - hickory
FRES17 Elm - ash - cottonwood
FRES18 Maple - beech - birch
FRES19 Aspen - birch
FRES20 Douglas-fir
FRES21 Ponderosa pine
FRES22 Western white pine
FRES23 Fir - spruce
FRES26 Lodgepole pine
FRES28 Western hardwoods
FRES29 Sagebrush
FRES34 Chaparral - mountain shrub
FRES35 Pinyon - juniper
FRES36 Mountain grasslands
FRES37 Mountain meadows
FRES38 Plains grasslands
FRES39 Prairie
FRES44 Alpine

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Comments: Open woods and meadows.

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Insect Visitors of Illinois Wildflowers

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NatureServe

Associations

Flower-Visiting Insects of Purple Vetch in Illinois

Vicia americana (Purple Vetch)
(Insect activity is unspecified; observations are from Reed)

Bees (long-tongued)
Apidae (Bombini): Bombus fervida; Anthophoridae (Ceratinini): Ceratina dupla

Bees (short-tongued)
Halictidae (Halictinae): Halictus confusus; Andrenidae (Andreninae): Andrena wilkella

References:

Hilty, J. Editor. 2013. Insect Visitors of Illinois Wildflowers. World Wide Web electronic publication. illinoiswildflowers.info, version (09/2013)
See: Abbreviations for Insect Activities, Abbreviations for Scientific Observers, References for behavioral observations

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USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

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John Hilty

General Ecology

Broad-scale Impacts of Plant Response to Fire

More info for the terms: fire use, prescribed fire

The Research Project Summaries Understory recovery after burning and
reburning quaking aspen stands in central Alberta and
Understory recovery after low- and high-intensity fires in northern
Idaho ponderosa pine forests provide information on prescribed fire use
and postfire response of plant community species including American vetch.

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Plant Response to Fire

More info for the terms: cover, frequency, prescribed burn, succession

American vetch typically increases after low- to moderate-severity fires
[5,6,38]. In a study of plant succession in the Gambel oak (Quercus
gambelii) brush zone in Utah, American vetch showed a higher average
number of plants on burned areas than on unburned areas, even after 9
years [22]. In northeastern North Dakota American vetch canopy cover
was greater on some sites burned 1-3 years before the plant survey than
on unburned sites [24]. In a Douglas-fir habitat type in Idaho,
American vetch cover and frequency on sites burned by low-severity fires
were greater than on unburned or severely burned sites. This effect was
greatest in post-fire year 2 [6].

On a prescribed burn in northeastern Minnesota, the frequency of
American vetch increased greatly on the burned areas during postfire
year 1 [1].

References:

1. Ahlgren, Clifford E. 1966. Small mammals and reforestation following prescribed burning. Journal of Forestry. 64: 614-618. [206]
22. McKell, Cyrus M. 1950. A study of plant succession in the oak brush (Quercus gambelii) zone after fire. Salt Lake City, UT: University of Utah. 79 p. Thesis. [1608]
24. Olson, Wendell W. 1975. Effects of controlled burning on grassland within the Tewaukon National Wildlife Refuge. Fargo, ND: North Dakota University of Agriculture and Applied Science. 137 p. Thesis. [15252]
5. Anderson, Murray L.; Bailey, Arthur W. 1979. Effect of fire on a Symphoricarpos occidentalis shrub community in central Alberta. Canadian Journal of Botany. 57: 2820-2823. [2867]
6. Armour, Charles D.; Bunting, Stephen C.; Neuenschwander, Leon F. 1984. Fire intensity effects on the understory in ponderosa pine forests. Journal of Range Management. 37(1): 44-48. [6618]
38. Wright, Henry A.; Bailey, Arthur W. 1982. Fire ecology: United States and southern Canada. New York: John Wiley & Sons. 501 p. [2620]

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Immediate Effect of Fire

Fire probably top-kills American vetch [27,39].

References:

27. Quintilo, D.; Alexander, M. E.; Ponto, R. L. 1991. Spring fires in a semimature trembling aspen stand in central Alberta. Information Report NOR-X-323. Edmonton, AB: Forestry Canada, Northwest Region, Northern Forestry Centre. 30 p. [19243]
39. Young, Richard P. 1986. Fire ecology and management in plant communities of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. Portland, OR: Oregon State University. 169 p. Thesis. [3745]

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Post-fire Regeneration

More info for the terms: ground residual colonizer, rhizome

Rhizomatous herb, rhizome in soil
Ground residual colonizer (on-site, initial community)

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Fire Ecology

American vetch is rated as moderately resistant to fire [22]. It
typicall increases following fire [24]. The fibrous roots and rhizomes
are 0.6 (1.5 cm) to 2 inches (5 cm) below the soil surface and sprout
following light- to moderate-severity fires [22]. American vetch also
revegetates burned sites via soil-stored seed [1,2]

References:

1. Ahlgren, Clifford E. 1966. Small mammals and reforestation following prescribed burning. Journal of Forestry. 64: 614-618. [206]
2. Ahlgren, Clifford E. 1979. Buried seed in the forest floor of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. Minnesota Forestry Research Note No. 271. St. Paul, MN: University of Minnesota, College of Forestry. 4 p. [3459]
22. McKell, Cyrus M. 1950. A study of plant succession in the oak brush (Quercus gambelii) zone after fire. Salt Lake City, UT: University of Utah. 79 p. Thesis. [1608]
24. Olson, Wendell W. 1975. Effects of controlled burning on grassland within the Tewaukon National Wildlife Refuge. Fargo, ND: North Dakota University of Agriculture and Applied Science. 137 p. Thesis. [15252]

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Successional Status

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

More info for the term: succession

Facultative Seral Species

American vetch occurs in all stages of succession. It grows in open
sunny sites and invades fire-disturbed areas [17]. It is also shade
tolerant. It is found in the understories of quaking aspen communities
of the upper Great Lakes region [3] and in Engelmann spruce (Picea
engelmannii) communities of the Rocky Mountains [4].

References:

3. Alban, David H.; Perala, Donald A.; Jurgensen, Martin F.; [and others]
4. Alexander, Billy G., Jr.; Fitzhugh, E. Lee; Ronco, Frank, Jr.; Ludwig, John A. 1987. A classification of forest habitat types of the northern portion of the Cibola National Forest, New Mexico. Gen. Tech. Rep. RM-143. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. 35 p. [4207]
17. Halpern, C. B. 1989. Early successional patterns of forest species: interactions of life history traits and disturbance. Ecology. 70(3): 704-720. [6829]

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Regeneration Processes

American vetch reproduces from seed and creeping rhizomes [1].

References:

1. Ahlgren, Clifford E. 1966. Small mammals and reforestation following prescribed burning. Journal of Forestry. 64: 614-618. [206]

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Growth Form (according to Raunkiær Life-form classification)

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

More info for the term: geophyte

Geophyte

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Life Form

More info for the term: forb

Forb

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Cyclicity

Phenology

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

American vetch new growth begins in early spring to early summer,
varying with environment. It flowers from May to August and the seeds
mature about 1 month after flowering [11,35].

References:

11. Callow, J. Michael; Kantrud, Harold A.; Higgins, Kenneth F. 1992. First flowering dates and flowering periods of prairie plants at Woodworth, North Dakota. Prairie Naturalist. 24(2): 57-64. [20450]
35. Wasser, Clinton H. 1982. Ecology and culture of selected species useful in revegetating disturbed lands in the West. FWS/OBS-82/56. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service. 347 p. [4837]

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Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD)

Molecular Biology

Barcode data: Vicia americana

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.

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Barcode of Life Data Systems

Statistics of barcoding coverage: Vicia americana

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 3
Specimens with Barcodes: 7
Species With Barcodes: 1

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Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD)

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Barcode of Life Data Systems

Conservation Status

National NatureServe Conservation Status

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

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NatureServe

NatureServe Conservation Status

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

Reasons: Widespread in North America, with thousands of occurrences.

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