Vicia sativa L.
common vetch (garden vetch)
Fabaceae (Pea family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
common vetch (garden vetch)
Fabaceae (Pea family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
SUBTAXA PRESENT IN BC
Species Information
General:
Perennial herb; stems upright or climbing, glabrous to stiff-hairy, 30-80 cm tall.
Leaves:
Alternate, pinnately compound; leaflets 8 to 16, linear-oblong to oblanceolate or egg-shaped, 1.5-3.5 cm long, squared-off to notched and with a slender point at the tip; tendrils well developed, branched, grasping; stipules 3-8 mm long, often deeply toothed, sometimes arrowhead-shaped, often with a dark blotch.
Flowers:
Inflorescence an axillary, barely-stalked raceme of 1-3 (usually a pair of) pea-like flowers; corollas purple to whitish, 15-25 mm long, the wings sometimes reddish; calyx-teeth nearly equal in size, awl-shaped, the lower teeth equalling or exceeding the bell-shaped tube.
Fruits:
Pods, narrowly oblong, 3-7 cm long, initially hairy becoming glabrous; seeds 4 to 12.
Notes:
Two varieties occur in BC:
1. Flowers usually at least 18 mm long, the wings often red; leaflets oblanceolate or broader................... var. sativa
1. Flowers usually less than 18 mm long, the wings usually not red; leaflets variable but often linear.................... var. angustifolia (L.) Wahlenb.
USDA Species Characteristics
Flower Colour:
Purple
Blooming Period:
Early Spring
Fruit/Seed characteristics:
Colour: Black
Present over the Spring
Source: The USDA
Ecology
Ecological Framework for Vicia sativa
The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)
The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)
| Site Information |
Value / Class |
||
|
Avg |
Min |
Max |
|
| Elevation
(metres) |
151 | 15 | 732 |
| Slope
Gradient (%) |
34 | 0 | 105 |
|
Aspect (degrees) |
221 | 7 | 360 |
| Soil
Moisture Regime (SMR) [0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic; 8 - hydric] |
1 | 1 | 4 |
| Modal
Nutrient Regime
Class |
C | ||
| #
of field plots species was recorded in: |
47 | ||
| Modal
BEC Zone Class |
CDF | ||
|
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in |
CDF(39), CWH(1), SBS(2) | ||
|
Source:
Klinkenberg 2013
|
|||
Habitat and Range
Mesic roadsides, clearings and waste places in the lowland zone; infrequent on SE Vancouver Island and adjacent islands and the lower mainland; rare on the Queen Charlotte Islands; introduced from Eurasia.Status Information
| Scientific Name | Origin Status | Provincial Status | BC List (Red Blue List) | COSEWIC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vicia sativa var. angustifolia | Exotic | SNA (2000) | Exotic | Not Listed |
| Vicia sativa var. sativa | Exotic | SNA (2000) | Exotic | Not Listed |
BC Ministry of Environment: BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer.
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Vicia globosa Retz.
Vicia sativa var. leucosperma (Moench) Ser.
Vicia sativa var. linearis Lange