acter of the style is an important feature, since the vetches greatly 

 resemble the peavines (Lathy rus spp.), but in the pea vines the style 

 is flattened and hairy along the inner side only. 



Like so many or the legumes, vetches possess little swellings 

 (nodules) on their roots. These nodules contain bacteria which are 

 able to take the nitrogen from the soil air and fix it in combination 

 with other elements to form the highly important group of nutritive 

 compounds known as proteins. 



