Flora of North America species comparison

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Onobrychis viciifolia

common sainfoin, holy-clover, sainfoin, sainfoin cultivé, saintfoin, sandfain, sanfoin
Habit Herbs inconspicuously pubescent or glabrate.
Stems

clustered, 3–8 dm.
Leaves

15–20 cm;

stipules amplexicaul (or distinct), scarious;

petiole 4–10 cm;

leaflet blades obovate to narrowly elliptic, 10–25 × 3–6 mm, apiculate, surfaces appressed-pubescent abaxially, hairs 0.7 mm, these sometimes restricted to midrib, red-dotted adaxially.
Racemes

(4–)5–12 × 1–1.5 cm;

bracts 3 mm, longer than pedicels;

bracteoles subulate, 0.5 mm, from pedicel apex.
Peduncles

8–30 cm.
Flowers

calyx 5–7 mm, lobes subulate, longer than tube;

corolla 8–15 mm, wings less than 1 mm.
Seeds

dark olive to brown or black, 4–6 mm.
Loments

exserted from persistent calyx, 5–7 × 4–6 mm, coarsely raised-reticulate, abaxial edge with prickly wing (surface reticulations sometimes also prickly), densely appressed-pubescent.
2n

= 28.

Onobrychis viciifolia
Phenology Flowering Jun–Sep.
Habitat Waste places, grasslands, open forests, roadsides.
Elevation 50–3000 m. (200–9800 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CA; CO; ID; MT; NE; NM; NV; OR; SD; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; NT; ON; QC; SK; YT; Eurasia [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Onobrychis viciifolia is widely introduced as a pasture plant, and the one-seeded fruits are regularly offered for sale; the species is to be expected almost anywhere in the flora area, especially northward. There are historical records from Newfoundland in Canada and from the north-central and northeastern United States. The attribution of O. viciifolia to Missouri (J. A. Steyermark 1963) is based on an incorrectly labeled specimen (Schuette s.n., 16 Jul 1882, MO).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 11.
Parent taxa Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Onobrychis
Synonyms Hedysarum onobrychis
Name authority Scopoli: Fl. Carniol. ed. 2, 2: 76. (1772) — (as viciaefolia)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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