[The Pea Family in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington]

Vetches of the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington

The Genus Vicia

Close-up of the style of american vetch: Vicia americana

The photo above shows a close-up of the tip of the style of american vetch with the cluster of hairs on all sides of the tip, a characteristic which helps differentiate this genus from the genus Lathyrus.

American Vetch: Vicia americana var. americana (Synonyms: Vicia americana ssp. americana, Vicia americana var. linearis, Vicia americana ssp. oregana, Vicia americana var. oregana, Vicia americana var. truncata, Vicia americana var. villosa, Vicia californica, Vicia californica var. madrensis, Vicia oregana, Vicia sparsifolia var. truncata) - Flowers arranged in racemes of 12-25 flowers. Flowers 15-25 mm long.

Bird Vetch, Cat Peas, Tinegrass, Tufted Vetch: Vicia cracca (Synonyms: Vicia cracca ssp. cracca, Vicia cracca ssp. grossheimii, Vicia cracca ssp. tenuifolia, Vicia cracca var. angustissima, Vicia cracca var. tenuifolia, Vicia semicincta, Vicia tenuifolia) ? - Flowers aranged in dense, 1-sided racemes of 20-80 flowers. Plants glabrous to covered with appressed hairs. Flowers 10-15 mm long. Upper teeth of calyx less than 0.5 mm long.

Hairy Vetch, Tiny Vetch: Vicia hirsuta - Flowers loosely arranged in racemes of 3-8 flowers. Pods hairy, 2 seeded.

Spring Vetch: Vicia lathyroides -

Black Vetch, Giant Vetch: Vicia nigricans var. gigantea (Synonyms: Vicia gigantea, Vicia nigricans ssp. gigantea) - Racemes closely 7-20 flowered. Flowers 14-18 mm long, creamy yellow to orangish in color.

Common Vetch, Garden Vetch, Smaller Common Vetch, Tarh: Vicia sativa var. angustifolia (Synonyms: Vicia angustifolia, Vicia angustifolia var. segetalis, Vicia angustifolia var. uncinata, Vicia pilosa, Vicia sativa ssp. nigra, Vicia sativa ssp. segetalis, Vicia sativa var. nigra, Vicia sativa var. segetalis) - Flowers arranged singly or in pairs. Flowers at least 18 mm long.

Common Vetch, Garden Vetch, Smaller Common Vetch, Tare: Vicia sativa var. sativa (Synonyms: Vicia sativa ssp. sativa, Vicia sativa var. linearis)

Lentil Vetch, Slender Vetch, Smooth Tare, Sparrow Vetch: Vicia tetrasperma (Synonym: Vicia tetrasperma var. tenuissima) - Flowers arranged singly or in pairs. Flowers white, tinged with purple, 3-6 mm long. Pods glabrous, 4-5 seeded.

Fodder Vetch, Hairy Vetch, Winter Vetch, Woolly Vetch: Vicia villosa var. glabrescens (Synonym: Vicia dasycarpa, Vicia villosa ssp. varia) -

Annual Cow Vetch, Fodder Vetch, Hairy Vetch, Winter Vetch, Woolly Vetch: Vicia villosa var. villosa (Synonym: Vicia villosa ssp. villosa) - Flowers aranged in dense, 1-sided racemes of 20-80 flowers. Plants densely covered with numerous, spreading, soft to stiff hairs. Flowers 15-18 mm long. Upper teeth of calyx greater than 0.5 mm long.


Paul Slichter E-mail