Vicia hirsuta (L.) Gray

Leguminosae, J. B. Gillett, R. M. Polhill & B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1971

Morphology General Habit

Trailing or climbing annual herb 30–70 cm. long.

Morphology Stem

Stems glabrous or thinly pubescent, especially the younger parts.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 6–20-foliolate; leaflets linear or narrowly oblong, 0·4–1·5 cm. long, 1·5–3 mm. wide, obtuse, truncate or emarginate and distinctly mucronulate at the apex, cuneate, sparsely pubescent when young; petiole short, 0–5(–10) mm. long; rhachis usually terminating in a slender branched tendril or sometimes this lacking in lowermost leaves; petiolules ± 0·5 mm. long; stipules semisagittate, 0·2–1·5 cm. long, 1·5–2·5 mm. wide, or in African material usually stipitate, the upper part entire, the lower often deeply divided into 3 linear or filiform segments.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences 2–7-flowered; peduncle 0·5–4 cm. long; pedicels 0·5–2 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx pubescent; tube 1(–2·5) mm. long; lobes subequal, linear-lanceolate, 1·5–2·5 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla white, rose or pale blue; standard obovate, 3–5 mm. long, 2 mm. wide, emarginate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods oblong, 6–10 mm. long, 3–3·5 mm. wide, somewhat compressed, 1–2-seeded, rather laxly pilose.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds dark brown or mottled pale and dark brown, subglobose, ± 2 mm. in diameter.

Figures

Fig. 153/14, p. 1071.

Habitat

Grassland, scrub, forest glades, lava plains; 1950–3360 m.

Distribution

K3 K5 T2 U1 U2 N. Africa, Europe and Asiaelsewhere introducedpossibly truly native in East Africa.

Seed Collecting Guide. RBG Kew (2013-2016)

Morphology General Habit

Annual, herbaceous stragglers, 20-80 cm tall, stems slender, sparsely hairy, 4-angled

Morphology Leaves Stipules

stipules up to 3 mm long, semi-sagittate to lanceolate, sometimes 2-4-toothed or lobed in lower part

Morphology Leaves Leaflets

leaflets (4-)5-8-paired, first pair often close to leaf base, usually linear 5-20 x 1-3 mm, pubescent or glabrous below, rachis ending in a branched tendril

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

inflorescence approximately equalling leaf length, 2-6(-7)-flowered

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

flowers small, 3-4(-5) mm long; calyx campanulate, 1.5-3 mm, teeth subequal, linear to subulate, equalling to exceeding length of tube; corolla bluish­ white

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

pods pendant, oblong-rhomboid to trapezoid, 6-11 mm long by 2.5-4 mm wide, flattened, covered with adpressed hairs or sometimes glabrescent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

1-2(-3) per pod, suborbicular, 1.5-3 mm diameter, testa olive green to dark brown, smooth, hilum comprising about 1/3 of circumference.

Ecology

oak forests, cultivated land, fallow fields, waste ground, roadsides, rocky meadows. altitude 0 - 800 m

Distribution

South-West Europe, Turkey, Caucasus, North-West Africa, Ethiopia

Conservation

Near endangered

Phenology

Flower (june - october), fruit (no data)

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation

Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds Protein Content

27.60% Entire seed/nut. Moisture content not stated (Earle & Jones, 1962)