Common name: Square-stemmed Vetch
Vicia monantha Retz. APNI* Description: Prostrate to erect or climbing annual herb; stems to 80 cm long, sparsely pubescent.
Leaves 5–7 cm long; leaflets 8–16, linear to oblanceolate or oblong to elliptic, 5–30 mm long, 1–8 mm wide, apex obtuse to emarginate, occasionally minutely mucronate, upper surface glabrous, lower surface sparsely pubescent; stipules 3–6 mm long, entire to toothed.
Racemes 1–7-flowered, 1–2 cm long; peduncles 1.5–4.5 cm long. Calyx 4–6 mm long. Corolla 10–20 mm long, mostly blue to violet; standard longest, purple-veined; wings white and blue; keel shortest, blue tipped.
Pod oblong, 2–5 cm long, slightly constricted between seeds, mostly glabrous; seeds 3–7, ± globose.
Flowering: Flowers throughout the year.
Distribution and occurrence: Widespread especially in Western districts. Native of Medit. & SW Asia. Naturalised in pastures and along roadsides.
NSW subdivisions: *CC, *ST, *NWS, *CWS, *NWP, *SWP, *NFWP, *SFWP
Other Australian states: *Vic.
Text by A.E. Holland and G.J. Harden
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW Vol. 2 (2002)
| | Key to the subspecies | |
| 1 | Racemes 1- or 2-flowered; corolla 10–15 mm long; pods 2–3.5 cm long, 8–10 mm wide; seeds 3–3.5 mm long, brown. | subsp. monantha |
| Racemes 2–7-flowered; corolla usually 14–18 mm long; pods 3–5 cm long, 10–12 mm wide; seeds 3.5–5 mm long, black. | subsp. triflora |
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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