The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California

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  • Up-to-date information about California vascular plants is available from the Jepson eFlora.

Names are linked to treatments from the Manual


Key to VICIA

N.B.: couplets are linked, e.g., 1. is linked to 1'.

  1. Leaflet 5–12 cm; plant erect; tendrils 0
V. faba
  1' Leaflet generally 1–4 cm; plant sprawling or climbing; tendrils generally present
 
    2. Inflorescence a sessile or barely peduncled cluster of 1–4 pedicelled flowers
 
      3. Flower 5–6 mm
V. lathyroides
      3' Flower 10–30 mm
 
        4. Corolla pink-purple to whitish; banner glabrous, fruit initially hairy, quickly glabrous
V. sativa
          5. Calyx 7–12 mm; corolla 1–1.8 cm, pink-purple to ± white; naturalized, not cultivated
subsp. nigra
          5' Calyx 10–15 mm; corolla 1.8–3 cm, generally pink-purple; cultivated and naturalized
subsp. sativa
        4' Corolla yellow or yellow-white, sometimes purple-blotched; banner puberulent on back, fruit persistently hairy, or both
 
          6. Banner puberulent on back; calyx lobes ± equal; fruit hairs not from conspicuous tubercles
V. pannonica
          6' Banner glabrous; calyx lobes unequal; fruit hairs from tubercles conspicuous on lower margin of fruit
V. lutea
    2' Inflorescence a peduncled raceme
 
      7. Flower 3–9 mm
 
        8. Fruit hairy, stalk-like base 0; leaflets 10–16; flowers generally 2–6
V. hirsuta
        8' Fruit glabrous or ± strigose, stalk-like base ± 1–2 mm; leaflets, flowers various, including as above
 
          9. Fruit rounded at tip, with a short point on 1 side, 1–1.3 cm; leaflets 4–10, linear to elliptic; peduncle thread-like, 1–3 cm, often curved, 1–3-flowered
V. tetrasperma
          9' Fruit tapered at tip, 1–3.5 cm; leaflets or peduncle not as above
 
            10. Leaflets ± 12–18; flowers 2–6; seeds 2
V. disperma
            10' Leaflets 4–10; flowers 1–3; seeds generally > 2
 
              11. Style hairs clumped at tip, generally on lower, convex side; leaflet tip generally truncate; flowers well separated or 1
V. hassei
              11' Style hairs at tip and below, on all sides; leaflet tip generally tapered; flowers crowded or 1
V. ludoviciana var. ludoviciana
      7' Flower > 9 mm
 
        12. Leaf generally 1–1.5 dm; leaflets 16–24, larger ones 2.5–4 cm — fruit often upcurved, ± 12–13 mm wide
V. gigantea
        12' Leaf rarely > 1 dm; leaflets either fewer or smaller than above
 
          13. Flowers not crowded, on > 1 side of axis (except sometimes when pressed), 1.5–2.5 cm, length when pressed 2.5–3.5 × width; stalk-like fruit base 2–5 mm
V. americana var. americana
          13' Flowers crowded, generally on 1 side of axis, generally < 1.6 cm, length when pressed generally 4–6 × width; stalk-like fruit base 1.5–3 mm
 
            14. Inflorescence ± = subtending leaf, 3–12-flowered; corolla dark or red-purple; fruit puberulent
V. benghalensis
            14' Inflorescence generally > subtending leaf, generally 10–25-flowered; corolla blue-purple or lavender to ± white; fruit glabrous
 
              15. Calyx often obliquely attached but only slightly lopsided-swollen at base; flower length when pressed ± 3-3.5 × width; fruit 6–7 mm wide; perennial herb
V. cracca
              15' Calyx both obliquely attached and lopsided-swollen at base; flowers when pressed 4–6 × width; fruit 6–10 mm wide; annual
V. villosa
                16. Hairs on stems, leaves 0 or inconspicuous, ± 1 mm; lower calyx lobe narrowly lanceolate, generally 1–2 mm
subsp. varia
                16' Hairs on upper stems, leaves conspicuous, 1–2 mm; lower calyx lobe needle- or thread-like, 2–4 mm
subsp. villosa


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