Pea Family [Fabaceae] |
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6th July 2016, Waitby Greenriggs, Kirkby Stephen, Yorks/Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
A branched erect perennial growing up to 40cm high. The leaves have between 2 to 4 opposite leaflets each. Flowers number between 2 to 6 on each branch. There are no tendrils on the ends of leaves of Bitter Vetch/Vetchling, they are replaced by a long point instead. |
6th July 2016, Waitby Greenriggs, Kirkby Stephen, Yorks/Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
Flower colour varies from pink with red veins and turn blue. Flowers 10-16mm. |
6th July 2016, Waitby Greenriggs, Kirkby Stephen, Yorks/Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
The sepal tube and teeth on this specimen are steel blue to purple. |
6th July 2016, Waitby Greenriggs, Kirkby Stephen, Yorks/Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
The sepal teeth number 5, the longest underneath, two shorter ones on the side of the flower, and two very short ones at the top. |
6th July 2016, Waitby Greenriggs, Kirkby Stephen, Yorks/Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
Like all members of the pea family, there are 5 petals. The larges is the banner, which is folded upwards and has visible net-veins. |
6th July 2016, Waitby Greenriggs, Kirkby Stephen, Yorks/Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
There are two wings each side of and cupping the two cupped keels, which in this case are still emerging. |
6th July 2016, Waitby Greenriggs, Kirkby Stephen, Yorks/Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
In this specimen the keel and wings are still positioning themselves. |
6th July 2016, Waitby Greenriggs, Kirkby Stephen, Yorks/Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
At the leaf junction to the stem a pair of smaller bracts straddle the stem. The leaflets are much larger and linear to elliptical (elliptical here for lower leaves). There are no tendrils. |
6th July 2016, Waitby Greenriggs, Kirkby Stephen, Yorks/Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
The stem is angular in places, often triangular and feels fluted due to the presence of wings all the way down the stem (but which are interrupted by the leaves). |
6th July 2016, Waitby Greenriggs, Kirkby Stephen, Yorks/Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
The winged nature of the stem is obvious on thate part far right. |
6th July 2016, Waitby Greenriggs, Kirkby Stephen, Yorks/Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
The triangular winged fluted nature of the stems is more obvious on this view. Two short bracts straddle the junction. Each bract has a shorter backwardsly-directed point. |
6th July 2016, Waitby Greenriggs, Kirkby Stephen, Yorks/Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
The two bracts straddling the junction. Winged stems in evidence. |
6th July 2016, Waitby Greenriggs, Kirkby Stephen, Yorks/Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
The wings get narrower at junctions and wider in the middle. |
6th July 2016, Waitby Greenriggs, Kirkby Stephen, Yorks/Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
The leaves have small points at their tips. |
6th July 2016, Waitby Greenriggs, Kirkby Stephen, Yorks/Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
The seed pod extends from the toothed sepal tube. |
6th July 2016, Waitby Greenriggs, Kirkby Stephen, Yorks/Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
Seed pods are red-brown and are 25-45mm long. |
Easily confused with :
Other similar peas with winged stems and opposite pairs of elliptical leaflets are much larger and more straggly plants:
This plant is the earliest pea or vetch to flower, flowering April to July. It grows upright in heaths, the margins of woods and scrub on acidic soils.
It used to be called Tuberous Pea but its current official name is Bitter Vetch. Except, having winged stems, it is clearly not a vetch but instead a vetchling and so should be called Bitter Vetchling.
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Lathyrus | linifolius | ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ | Fabaceae |
Lathyrus (Peas) |
Pea Family [Fabaceae] |