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Vicia americana
(American Vetch) Fabaceae (Pea Family) Foothills, montane, subalpine. Woodlands,
meadows. Summer. The incredibly rich hues of lavender/purple and the numerous flowers make this common Pea quite noticeable even though individual flowers are small. Hairiness and leaf shape are highly variable. Vicia americana is found in mountain meadows in the Four Corners area. It usually wraps its tendrils around other plants for support. It is a common plant in much of the United States and southern Canada. Linnaeus named this genus in 1753, and Gotthiff Muhlenberg (1753-1815) named this species in 1801. The name "Vetch" is applied to members of several genera of the Pea Family. "Vicia" is the classical Latin name for this plant. |
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Vicia americana
(American Vetch) Fabaceae (Pea Family) Foothills, montane, subalpine. Woodlands,
meadows. Summer. Grasses at trailside are often alive with the vibrancy of Vicia americana. |
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Vicia americana
(American Vetch) Fabaceae (Pea Family) Foothills, montane, subalpine. Woodlands,
meadows. Summer. |
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Vicia americana (American Vetch) Fabaceae (Pea Family) Foothills, montane, subalpine. Woodlands,
meadows. Summer. Seed pods dangle. Leaves of Vicia americana can vary as little as shown on this page or can be half as wide. |
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Vicia americana Fabaceae (Pea Family) Foothills, montane, subalpine. Woodlands,
meadows. Summer. Puccinia, a genus of rust fungi, affects a number of native wildflowers and although I have found very few infected plants other than Mustards (click to see), the more I search, the more I find. I have not been able to identify the species of Puccinia infecting the Vicia americana in the photograph. |
Range map © John Kartesz,
County Color Key
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Range map for Vicia americana |
Species present in state and native
Species present in state and exotic
Species not present in state
Species present and not rare
Species present and rare
Species extirpated (historic)
Species extinct
Species noxious
Species exotic and present
Eradicated
Questionable presence