AMERICAN VETCH 



Vi'cia america'na 



W203 

 (2 leaves) 



Flowers pea-like,bluish purple, 

 up to % in. long; usually 3 to 9, 

 in a loose, 1 -sided cluster 

 (raceme) on an axillary stalk 

 shorter than the leaves; petals 

 5, very dissimilar 



Upper petal (banner) oblong, 

 notched 



Lowest 2 petals (keel) joined, 

 boatliko, curved 



Middle 2 petals obliquely ob- 

 long, adherent to keel 



Outer united flower parts (ca- 

 lyx) 6-toothed; lower 3 teeth 

 usually longer than upper 2 



. Stamens 10, united by their 

 / stalks into 2 groups of 9 and 1 ; 

 stamen tube oblique at top; en- 

 closed in keel 



B 



Threadlike stalk (style) from 

 seed-producing organ (ovary), 

 with ring of hairs around the 

 knoblike tip, enclosed in keel. 

 B. Style of the very similar 

 peavines (Laihyrus spp.) 



Stems weak, vinelike, 1 to 4 

 ft. long, hairless or nearly so, 

 sharply 4-sided, or winged at 



Pods (legumes) flat, hairless, 

 net-veined, 2- to several-seeded, 

 up to 2 in. long, 2-valved 



leaves divided (pinnately 

 compound), alternate, midrib 

 extended into a simple or 

 branched tendril 



Leaflets 8 to 14, thin, hairless, 

 up to about 1% in. long, from 

 oval or elliptic to linear-oblong, 

 pointed or rounded 



Leaflike bracts (stipules) at 

 base of leaves, somewhat arrow- 

 shaped or rounded, with sharply- 

 toothed margins 



Rootstocks creeping, jointed, 

 underground 



