VICIAL.VETCH

VICIAL. - VETCH

Scientific Description:

Annual, biennial or perennial herbs, glandular; stems wingless, often climbing. Leaves usually paripinnate, ending in a mucro or tendril, rarely imparipinnate; leaflets 1−many-paired, entire or rarely toothed, with anastamosing lateral veins. Stipules entire or toothed, with or without a dark nectariferous blotch. Flowers in axillary racemes or solitary. Calyx regular to bilabiate, gibbous or not; teeth equal or unequal, not leafy. Wings free or coherent to the keel. Style towards apex pubescent all round, or bearded only on the lower side, or rarely with a line or hairs along the upper side (Vicia koeieana Rech.f.) or glabrous. Legume ± compressed, 1−many-seeded, suture not winged. Seeds subglobose or sometimes compressed, hilum often elongate.

Reference:

Davis PH & Plitmann U (1970). Vicia L., In: Davis PH (ed.), Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, 3: 274.

Public Description:

Vicia is a genus of annual, biennial or perennial herbs, known as “vetch”, and is native to Asia, Europe, Africa, North and South America. There are approximately 232 species in the world and 62 species (65 taxa) in Türkiye. “Bitter vetch (Vicia ervilia (L.) Willd.)” was one of the first domesticated crops. It was grown in the Near East about 9,500 years ago. Vetch has been found at Neolithic and Eneolithic sites in Bulgaria, Hungary and Slovakia. Broad bean (Vicia faba L.) had also been domesticated about 7.000 years ago. Vetches are very important and widely cultivated very nutritious fodder plants. However, some species are poisonous to cattle and horses.

References:

Anonymous (2016). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vicia /, Accessed date: 13.02.2016.

Ertekin S A (2012). Vicia L., In: Güner, A., Aslan, S., Ekim, T., Vural, M. & Babaç, M.T. (eds.), Türkiye Bitkileri Listesi (Damarlı Bitkiler). Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanik Bahçesi ve Flora Araştırmaları Derneği Yayını. İstanbul, pp. 500–505.