''Vicia grandiflora'', commonly known as large yellow vetch
and bigflower vetch, as well as large-flowered vetch,
is a common
herbaceous
Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials.
Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous"
The fourth edition of t ...
plant species in the family
,
which occurs as a native plant species in
Europe and
Asia, as well as an introduced vetch species in
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
.
Etymology
Its
genus name ''Vicia'' is a Latin term for "vetch", while its
species name, ''grandiflora'', refers to the species' relatively large flowers and means "large-flowered".
Taxonomy
Austrian naturalist
Giovanni Antonio Scopoli described this species in 1772 in his work Flora Carniolica.
Taxonomists recognize two subspecies and a few varieties:
* ''Vicia grandiflora'' var. ''biebersteinii''
Griseb.
* ''Vicia grandiflora'' var. ''dissecta''
Boiss.
* ''Vicia grandiflora'' var. ''kitaibeliana''
W.D.J. Koch
* ''Vicia grandiflora'' var. ''sordida'' Griseb.
* ''Vicia. grandiflora'' subsp. ''grandiflora''
* ''Vicia grandiflora'' subsp. ''sordida''
Dostál
Description
This relatively common
annual legume
A legume () is a plant in the family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seed of such a plant. When used as a dry grain, the seed is also called a pulse. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consumption, for livestock f ...
species can reach from 30 to 60 centimetres of height. It is usually an upright-growing and spread out hirsute
plant.
''Vicia grandiflora'' has alternate leaves
that are petiolate and
pinnately compound
Pinnation (also called pennation) is the arrangement of feather-like or multi-divided features arising from both sides of a common axis. Pinnation occurs in biological morphology, in crystals, such as some forms of ice or metal crystals, and in ...
, with its leaflets (pinna) being round to
obovate in ''Vicia grandiflora'' subsp. ''grandiflora'', and linear to
oblanceolate, sometimes narrowly
cordate, in ''Vicia grandiflora'' subsp. ''sordida''.
There are from 6 to 14 leaflets.
Each leaflet ends with short and sharpened point. On the other hand, each leaf ends with three-part
tendril.
This species is an
entomophilous plant and flowers in spring time, usually from April to June.
''Vicia grandiflora'' has typical
bilaterally symmetrical, that consists of banner, keel and wing, with
petal
Petals are modified Leaf, leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often advertising coloration, brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''c ...
s being yellow.
After time flowers lose their bright yellow colour and sometimes fade to pale lavender shade.
Each flower measures from 2 to 3 centimetres, with a few combined flowers constituting an inflorescence. The latter can be both sessile and petiolate with short leafstalk. This species'
sepals are fused together into a long calyx tube that is sometimes hirsute and ends with pointed calyx teeth.
This plant's dried fruit is a
legume
A legume () is a plant in the family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seed of such a plant. When used as a dry grain, the seed is also called a pulse. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consumption, for livestock f ...
, that can measure from 3 to 5 centimetres. Usually the legume gets darker as it ages.
When ripe, the legume splits open and releases seeds.
Layman can mistake ''Vicia grandiflora'' with similar vetches ''
Vicia lutea
''Vicia lutea'' (yellow vetch, smooth yellow vetch) is a species of flowering plant in the bean family Fabaceae.
Distribution
It is native to Europe, western Asia, and North Africa, and it is known on other continents as an introduced specie ...
'' and ''
Vicia pannonica
''Vicia pannonica'' is a species of vetch known by the common name Hungarian vetch. It is native to southern, central Europe and western Asia, and it is sometimes cultivated as an agricultural crop for use as hay and fodder. It may escape culti ...
'',
as well as vetchling ''
Lathyrus pratensis
''Lathyrus pratensis'' or meadow vetchling, yellow pea, meadow pea and meadow pea-vine, is a perennial legume that grows to 1.2 m in height.
The hermaphrodite flowers are pollinated by bees. As a perennial, this plant reproduces itself over ...
''.
Distribution and conservation
''Vicia grandiflora'' grows in
Europe and some parts of
Asia as a native vetch species.
The species can be found in Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Turkey, Ukraine, as well as United Kingdom.
This plant was also introduced into
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
; probably as a
forage material for grazing animals. In North America it is mostly restricted to east and southeastern states of USA,
in some parts being also an
invasive species
An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species ad ...
.
''Vicia grandiflora'' usually grows in a diverse collection of different habitats, which also include some anthropologically modified
urban areas.
This legume can be found growing on various meadows, in bright forests, on fields and gardens, as well as
ruderal landscapes.
It rarely grows in mountains, it occurs only at elevations up to 1,800 metres.
The plant is a
generalist, yet it still prefers warm and sunny growing surfaces.
This species is listed as
least concern (LC) species on the
IUCN Red list, with its population being rated as stable.
Gallery
Vicia grandiflora bgiu 01.jpg
Vicia grandiflora W.jpg
Vicia grandiflora "subsp." sordida sl24.jpg
Atlas roslin pl Wyka brudnożółta 1875 9030.jpg
Kr Vicia Hybrida.jpg
Vicia grandiflora "subsp." sordida sl8.jpg
Vicia grandiflora Herbar.jpg
Vicia grandiflora Y02.jpg
References
External links
*
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q161317
grandiflora
Flora of Europe
Flora of Asia