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common vetch, spring vetch, tare

American vetch

Habit Plants annual, 3–10 dm. Plants perennial, 1–10 dm.
Leaves

leaflets 8–14; ovate-oblong to linear, 15–30 × 5–15 mm;

surfaces abaxially sparsely pubescent, adaxially glabrous;

rachises 3–8 cm;

stipules foliose, with abaxial nectariferous patch.

leaflets 8–18; ovate or elliptic to linear, 15–35 × 1–14 mm;

surfaces glabrous to finely pubescent;

rachises 2–8 cm;

stipules inconspicuous.

Inflorescences

1–4-flowered; < subtending leaves.

5–9-flowered, 2–8 cm, usually > subtending leaves.

Flowers

10–30 mm;

calyx bases symmetrical;

lobes subequal; ? tubes;

corollas violet-purple, lavender, or whitish, glabrous;

banners abruptly contracted into narrow claws;

styles abaxially compressed.

12–25 mm;

calyx bases symmetrical;

lobes unequal; < tubes;

corollas bluish purple, rarely white, glabrous;

banners oblong, constricted between blades and claws;

blades wider than claws;

styles abaxially compressed.

Fruits

25–60 × 3–11 mm; reddish brown to black, glabrous or pubescent, sessile.

distally asymmetrical, upcurved, 25–35 × 5–6 mm; tawny to brown, glabrous or pubescent;

stipes to 5 mm.

Vicia sativa

Vicia americana

Distribution
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Worldwide. 7 varieties; 2 varieties treated in Flora.

Open moist woods, thickets, meadows, tall grass prairies, sagebrush steppes, roadsides, disturbed areas. Flowering Mar–Sep. 0–2300 m. All ecoregions. CA, ID, NV, WA; north to AK, northeast to Quebec, east to NY, southeast to TX, south to Mexico. Native.

Vicia americana intergradation is widespread. Gunn (1968) described two relatively distinct entities (varieties americana and minor) that may represent the extremes of a continuum of variation in some regions. If these taxa were accepted, only V. americana var. americana would occur in Oregon.

Source Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 743
Steven Broich
Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 742
Steven Broich
Sibling taxa
V. americana, V. cracca, V. faba, V. hassei, V. hirsuta, V. lathyroides, V. lutea, V. nigricans, V. pannonica, V. tetrasperma, V. villosa
V. cracca, V. faba, V. hassei, V. hirsuta, V. lathyroides, V. lutea, V. nigricans, V. pannonica, V. sativa, V. tetrasperma, V. villosa
Subordinate taxa
V. sativa var. angustifolia, V. sativa var. sativa
Synonyms Vicia americana ssp. americana, Vicia americana ssp. oregana, Vicia americana var. americana, Vicia americana var. linearis, Vicia americana var. oregana, Vicia americana var. truncata, Vicia americana var. villosa, Vicia californica
Web links