Vicia sativa L. subsp. sativa

Spice Fruit In the field

Family: LEGUMINOSAE

Genus: Vicia

Catalan common name: Veça.

Spanish common name: Garrobilla. Veza.

Province distribution: Alacant. Balearic Islands. Barcelona. Girona. Tarragona. València.

Distribution in the islands: Mallorca. Menorca. Ibiza. Formentera.

General distribution (Phytogeography): Holoartica

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Terophyte.

Habitats: Cultivated fields, path and road sides, disturbed zones. Cultivated species. Cultivated fields, path and road sides, disturbed zones.

Characteristics: Vetches have large leaves with many fills that are wide at the apex, often with a branched tendril and the leaf extreme; also with dark nectaries in the stipules. Vicia sativa has flowers above the stem, right at the leaf axils; these are large flowers, up to 1.5 cm, purple or violet. The legume is fairly wide, up to 1 cm in width. This species is very polymorphic, various subspecies have been described, and the one given here is usually the cultivated species that also appears spontaneously.