Vicia sativa subsp. nigra (L.) Ehrh.

Scientific Description

Twining or climbing plants. Stems terete, not spiny, glabrous; pustules or glands absent. Leaves or phylloclades clearly present, compound, alternate, continuous with stem, 45-100 mm long, glabrous, flat with flat margins; margins entire; tubercles absent, leaflets 8-16, pinnately arranged, terminal leaflet absent, stalked; pustules or glands absent. Stipules present and persistent to older leaves, 3-8 mm long, without glands, ribless. Pedicel present, 2-4 mm long, hairy. Bracteoles absent. Calyx 10-11 mm long, not accrescent, hairy, with simple hairs, ribless; pustules or glands absent. Corolla 17.5-21 mm long, multicoloured, mostly pink, purple, white or blue, with some pink, purple, white or blue spots, streaks or blotches; claws present; standard 16.5-18 mm long, glabrous, not auriculate, wings 15-17 mm long, not auriculate, keel 10.5-12 mm long, not beaked, not auriculate. Stamens ten, at two different levels (filaments alternately long and short); filaments united in an open sheath with one free stamen, 10-10.3 mm long. Ovary stipitate, hairy or glandular; style 11.5-12 mm long, hairy or glandular towards the base, bearded (with a tuft of hairs at apex), terete. Fruit dehiscent (a pod or follicle), 40-55 mm long, 5-7 mm wide, stipitate or sessile or subsessile, not constricted between the seeds, flat or compressed, glabrous, not beaked. Flowers in August, September, October and November. Occurs in the Eremaean and South-West Botanical Province, in the Nullarbor, Avon Wheatbelt, Jarrah Forest, Warren, Esperance and Swan Coastal Plain IBRA regions.