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Electronic Flora of South Australia species Fact Sheet
Vicia sativa
Citation: L., Sp. Pl. 736 (1753).
Synonymy: Not Applicable Common name: Common vetch.
Description:
Biology: Frequently cultivated for fodder, widespread in forests, grasslands or as a weed in wheat crops in most of Europe, northern Africa, southern anti western Asia, North and South America and New Zealand. Taxonomic notes: A very variable species and various criteria have been used to divide it into a number of (sub) species, varieties and forms. J. Black (1948), Fl.S. Aust. 476, treated V. angustifolia L. (1759) as a distinct species although he commented that there are some forms with the cylindrical black pods and broad leaflets of V. sativa, which he believed to be hybrids. This comment is mentioned later by Burbidge (1970) and Willis (1972) and similar observations were also made in New Zealand. The same name appears in Flora Europaea (1968) as a synonym of V. sativa subsp. nigra, subsequently also in Davis (1970) Fl. Turkey, but Chrtková-Zertová (1979), Flora Iranica 140:50, raised it to species level. V. cordata L. was placed as a variety of V. satira by Chrtková-Zertová, but in Diklic (1972) Fl. Srbije, it appears as a variety of V. angustifolia. As no clear distinction among the various forms could be seen in S.Aust. specimens and basic chromosome numbers (Mettin & Hanelt (1964) Kulturpfl. 12:163-225) could not be considered for identification the treatment by P. W. Ball (1968), Flora Europaea 2:134-135, is accepted here. Key to Infraspecific taxa: Author: Not yet available |
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