CHAPTER XX 

 VETCHES AND VETCH-LIKE PLANTS 



THE term " vetch " has in common usage a rather 

 loose application. Properly it refers to species of the 

 botanical genus Vicia, but it is in the cases of some culti- 

 vated plants applied to species in related groups of plants. 

 Thus crown vetch is a species of Coronilla; kidney vetch 

 is Anthyllis vulneraria; Dakota vetch is a species of 

 Hosackia ; and several of the vetchlings, species of Lathy- 

 rus, are sometimes called " vetch." 



Botanists recognize about 120 kinds or species of Vicia, 

 of which about 50 are annuals and most of the remainder 

 perennials. In the United States, where about 20 wild 

 kinds occur, they are commonly known as wild peas. 

 Many of tke species of vetch have been more or less 

 extensively cultivated, and several others growing wild 

 are utilized for hay or pasturage, or in a few cases the 

 seeds are used for human food. 



547. Kinds of vetches. The cultivated vetches include 

 the following : Common vetch, or tares ( Vicia saliva] ; 

 hairy, sand or Russian vetch ( Vicia villosd) ; bitter vetch 

 (Vicia ervilia) ; scarlet vetch ( Vicia fulgens) ; purple vetch 

 ( Vicia atropurpurea) ; Narbonne vetch ( Vicia narbonnen- 

 sis) ; narrow-leaved vetch (Vicia angustifolia) . Another 

 species, Vicia Jaba, is extensively cultivated and has 

 numerous varieties known as broad beans, Windsor beans, 



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