vetches

genus Vicia

Member of vetches vs. vetchlings
legume family (family Fabaceae)
dicots (class Magnoliopsida)
flowering plants (subphylum Angiospermae)

Except for old historical records and extremely rare examples that I don't expect to encounter, there are no other wild species of this genus in the bay area.

Key features:

inflorescence in small cluster or peduncled raceme
flowers on one side of raceme, or both sides
total inflorescence length compared to total leaf length (with all leaflets)

flower cluster at base of leaf

Key features:

exact leaflet length

common vetch
Vicia sativa

inflorescence in a cluster of 1–3 flowers, sessile or peduncled
8–14 leaflets, 1.5–3.5 cm, tip acute, truncate, or notched, often with 1 slender tooth
corolla 10–30 mm, pink-purple [red purple] to white
stem decumbent to ascending

yellow vetch
Vicia lutea

inflorescence in a cluster of 1–3 flowers at base of leaf, crowded
8–16 leaflets, 1–2 cm, oblong to linear, tip rounded or truncate, 1-toothed
corolla 20–30 mm, yellow, often purple-tinged [photos show it as very pale yellow to white]
stem ascending or climbing
rare

peduncled raceme with large flowers

hairy vetch
Vicia villosa

flowers not spaced, generally on 1 side of axis
flower attached on one side of the base
calyx lower lobes ≫ upper lobes
inflorescence generally > subtending leaf, generally 10–25-flowered
leaflets 12–18, 1–2.5 cm, narrowly oblong to elliptic, tip rounded, 1-toothed
corolla blue-purple or lavender to white

reddish tufted vetch
Vicia benghalensis

flowers not spaced, generally on 1 side of axis
inflorescence generally ± = subtending leaf, 3–12-flowered; corolla dark or red-purple
leaflets 10–16, 1.5–3 cm, elliptic to oblong
corolla (12)15–18 mm, dark or red-purple, calyx plumose

american vetch
Vicia americana

flowers 3–9, generally spaced, on > 1 side of axis
flower attached in line with the base
calyx lower lobes > upper lobes
plant is hairy or glabrous
leaflets 8–16, 1–3.5 cm, widely elliptic, wedge-shaped, to narrowly oblong, tip acute, truncate, notched, or 1–5-toothed
corolla 15–25 mm, generally blue-purple to lavender

giant vetch
Vicia gigantea

corolla 12–14 mm, usually red-purple, not plumose
leaf (all leaflets) 10–15 cm long
16–24 leaflets, 1.5–4 cm each
scattered

peduncled raceme with small flowers

2–8 flowers, 10–20 leaflets

two-seeded vetch
Vicia disperma

2–6 flowers, crowded near tip, axis extended beyond flowers as bristle
12–20 leaflets, 7–18 mm, oblong-elliptic, tip often mucronate
corolla 3.5–5 mm, blue [pale purple?]
stem sprawling, 20–60 cm

hairy tare
Vicia hirsuta

2–8 flowers, crowded near tip, [axis not extended beyond flowers as bristle?]
10–16 leaflets, 5–15 mm, linear to narrowly elliptic, tip generally truncate, notched, or 1–5-toothed
corolla 3–4.5 mm, dull white or pale blue [purple?]
stem decumbent or climbing, slender

1–3 flowers, 4–10 leaflets

smooth tare
Vicia tetrasperma

generally 1–3 flowers, at tip
peduncle 1–3 cm
4–10 leaflets, 6–20 mm, linear to elliptic
corolla 4–6 mm, pale lavender to light purple
stem slender, decumbent or climbing, 10–50 cm

hasse vetch
Vicia hassei

1–3 flowers, separated from each other
4–10 leaflets, 5–25 mm, narrowly oblong to elliptic
leaflet tip generally truncate, notched, or 1–5-toothed [CalPhotos indicates that this may be tough to see]
corolla 3–9 mm, lavender to white
stem decumbent to erect, branched at base, 20–70 cm

deerpea vetch
Vicia ludoviciana ssp. ludoviciana

1–3 flowers, near tip, generally crowded
4–10 leaflets, 10–25 mm, narrowly oblong to elliptic
leaflet tip acute, 1-toothed, or occasionally truncate
corolla 4.5–7 mm, pale blue [or deep blue] [or purple?]
stem sprawling or low-climbing, 30–100 cm

The following species are reported in the bay area, but are considered waifs by Jepson:

V. cracca
V. faba

Rb 37 Pm 61 Cl 17

10 observed taxons / 3 unobserved taxons / 3 keys

Chris’s observations: 163 (110 are research grade)

Locations:

Henry Coe SP: 18
Coyote Lake / Harvey Bear Ranch CP: 13
Calero CP: 12
Edgewood Park & Natural Preserve: 12
Russian Ridge OSP: 11
Almaden Quicksilver CP: 7
Skyline Ridge OSP: 7
Fremont Older OSP: 5
Pleasanton Ridge RP: 5
Santa Teresa CP: 5
Coyote Hills RP: 4
Long Ridge OSP: 4
Murray Ranch SP: 4
Stevens Creek CP: 4
Sweeney Ridge National Recreation Area: 4
Waterdog Lake & Open Space: 4
Monte Bello OSP: 3
Purisima Creek Redwoods OSP: 3
Rancho Cañada del Oro OSP: 3
Wilder Ranch SP: 3
Alum Rock Park, San Jose: 2
Andrew Molera SP: 2
Coyote Valley OSP: 2
Joseph D. Grant CP: 2
Máyyan 'Ooyákma Coyote Ridge OSP: 2
Sierra Azul OSP: 2
Sunol Wilderness RP: 2
UCSC Campus Natural Reserve: 2
Big Basin SP
Castle Rock SP
Coyote Creek Trail
Dry Creek Pioneer RP
Ed R. Levin CP
El Corte de Madera OSP
Fort Ord NM
La Honda Creek OSP
Mission Peak RP
Nisene Marks SP
Pacheco SP
San Jose, CA
Saratoga, CA
Sierra Vista OSP
Stevens Creek Trail
Windy Hill OSP

Months:

Feb.: 6
Mar.: 35
Apr.: 52
May: 41
Jun.: 20
Jul.: 6
Aug.: 3

For more details, use advanced search.

Not all sites include this taxon:

genus Vicia → iNaturalist – Calflora – Jepson eFlora
not yet listed → FNA

Bay Area species: iNaturalist – Calflora